MSLO adds new Bernhardt furniture

DSN Retailing Today, Nov 22, 2004

Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia had a bright spot in furniture to note amid its latest quarterly sales decline.

MSLO noted that it would build on success in the Martha Stewart Signature furniture program with furniture maker Bernhardt, which will roll out 43 new MSS SKUs by March 2005. The program also will expand upholstery options.

The Martha Stewart Everyday products at Kmart continue to be regularly updated and seasonal rollouts continue. MSE launched at Sears Canada this year after initially placing in Zellers, but the jury remains out on whether Canadian consumers will ever embrace it the way Americans have. In the United States, vendors maintain that MSE has weathered Martha Stewart's well-publicized legal problems well.

Quarterly merchandising division revenues were $8 million versus $8.9 million in the year-earlier period, but operating income showed a small advance from $4.6 million to $4.8 million. MSLO blamed lower sales on a smaller Kmart, which has shed stores year to year.