Kmart Launches Smart Sense

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October 5, 2010

Kmart is expanding its private label portfolio with the introduction of the Smart Sense line, which includes a wide range of items from snacks and beverages to oral care, over-the-counter medications and household products.

The Smart Sense line is “comparable to that of national name brands, and on average costs 20 percent less,” the Hoffman Estates, Ill.-based company said in a statement.

“With the introduction of the Smart Sense line, Kmart is looking to offer a more affordable Kmart brand product assortment that will rival the quality of more nationally-recognized brands,” said Mark Snyder, chief marketing officer. “While the Smart Sense line will offer the everyday essentials, Kmart is also taking it a step further by providing unique products that you wouldn’t typically expect to see under a store brand.”

The line currently consists of hundreds of SKUs now and will expand to more than 1,200 items by early 2011. Kmart executives said the y plan to support the launch through advertising, coupon offers, in-store merchandising displays, sampling, digital marketing and event marketing.

At its 1,350 stores, Kmart also unveiled a new look for its existing store brands using brighter and more vibrant packaging “to capture the ‘colorful thinking’ Kmart is demonstrating through its new product and brand announcements,” the company said. Included in the redesign and relaunch are the chain’s Little Ones baby care products, Champion Breed pet care line, Image Essentials personal care and VitaSmart vitamins.

In other Kmart news, the company is creating the role of ‘own brand category manager,’ which includes two positions, according to Kim Coovert, Kmart’s brand manager of own brand food and drug. “This is exciting because we’ll have people completely dedicated to our own-brand business,” Coovert noted during a recent presentation at the Private Brand Movement conference.

The Smart Sense line is part of the Kmart Smart Assist Savings Card program, which gives eligible unemployed customers a 20 percent discount off more than 1,200 Kmart store brand grocery and drug store staples. The program was launched in 2009 and currently has more than 100,000 members.

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