Martha Stewart recently announced a partnership with Home Depot for a new line of home improvement products. The Home Depot deal replaces a long-term deal that Martha Stewart Living had in palce with Kmart. The Kmart contract comes to an end in January 2010. Martha Stewart told CNBC in an interview that she is glad the deal is ending. She says Kmart's new owernship has allowed her line of product to deteriorated and she is no longer happy working with them.
Martha Stewart said, "The new ownership really has really let our line deteriorate. It's been kind of ripped off, I would say, and really diminished and the quality is really not what I am proud of. Have you been into a Kmart lately? It's not the nicest place to shop.
She also said, "The stores are not what they were. The shopping experience is not what it was. The products are not there that people go in for. And it's not a good situation. And as a designer-supplier, I have been extremely disappointed."
Martha Stewart said she thought the Kmart and Sears together could have become almost as big as Wal-Mart if it had been better managed. Martha Stewart did say they are having a very good experience at Macy's and they hope to have a similar experience with Home Depot in different categories of products. Here's a video clip of Martha Stewart's interview on CNBC. Take a look:
