Bluelight.com not special for Kmart

By Andrea Lillo -- Home Textiles Today, 6/24/2002 12:00:00 AM

TROY, MI —

After several tweaks and re-launches since its January 2000 premiere, Kmart's BlueLight.com was again repositioned last week as kmart.com, with an updated look, a new identity and additional product categories such as area rugs.

"As we build a new Kmart, we feel it is important to demonstrate a unified brand message across all our consumer touch points," said Richard Blunck, Kmart senior vp and ceo of Bluelight.com.

The updated site incorporates the visual themes from Kmart's recently launched "Stuff of Life" advertising and corporate brand positioning programs, which Kmart is integrating into its stores as well.

The site also added several product categories, including area rugs, a natural extension for the site, said Dave Karraker, spokesperson, BlueLight. "Kmart does such a good business in this area," he said.

On the new home page, the area rug category gets its own link under the Home Furnishings banner. The selection of area rugs, from Home Dynamix, includes Oriental, animal, antique, contemporary and other designs, in a variety of sizes.

Karraker added that the Joe Boxer home collection will bow on the site in late July for the Back-to-School season.

The home section has been beefed up significantly since January, he added. "We're always looking to expand categories based on demand."

Other improvements to the site include placing all clearance items into one area, called the Deal Zone, instead of in their respective categories, and moving the navigation bar to the top of the page rather than on the side for easier interfacing, he said.

The site also offers more information about Kmart stores, including nationwide events, promotions and sales, as well as an expanded inventory of name brands such as Disney apparel, O'Sullivan furniture, Pentax cameras and Vitrex kitchenware.

Since February, Kmart and BlueLight.com have conducted research to gauge consumer response to the name of the website, they said, and found that consumers overwhelmingly preferred the Kmart name to the BlueLight name for the website. The company added that there are no immediate plans to change the name of the BlueLight company or its BlueLight Unlimited Internet Service.

The bluelight.com name was originally selected to show its relationship to Kmart and to also allow the then-independent BlueLight company to explore other site-based opportunities. BlueLight, Kmart's wholly owned subsidiary based in San Francisco, operated as a separate company until Kmart purchased the remaining interest last summer.