3.29.2015

Remembering: Martha Stewart Everyday 'Magazines'

Many of us longtime Martha fans remember those wonderful days when the Martha Stewart Everyday line of merchandise was still filling the shelves at Kmart stores. Even today, more than ten years after the line phased out and Martha's contract with Kmart expired, fans of the brand still pine for those beautifully-designed products for the home; the kitchen, bedroom, bath and garden products were excellent quality and very affordable. While the Martha Stewart Collection at Macy's is an excellent substitute, there was something about the timelessness of the Everyday line that still endures today.

To help promote the line in the early 2000s, Martha Stewart produced two in-house magazines that were distributed exclusively at Kmart stores. They were ostensibly promotional catalogs featuring many of the MSE products sold in store, but were designed to have the look and feel of magazines. They were free and were stacked on news racks at the checkout lines at select Kmart stores. They are quite rare today and very collectible. They can occasionally be found on eBay. Below are images from these 'magazines.' Special thanks to my friend Kenn for scanning these pages.
The first one to be issued was the "Martha Stewart Everyday Garden Magazine," published in the spring of 2001. The magazine was 100 pages and featured Martha Stewart Everyday products for the garden, mixed and matched with editorial how-to content about planting and gardening. As well as being available in store, this magazine was also mailed out to homes. The table of contents included these subjects: Gardening 101, No Fuss Roses, Pots and Planters for Nonstop Color, The Best Backyard Barbecue, Easy Perennials for Sun and Shade, The Perfect Tomato.




The second promotional magazine released in Kmart stores to promote the Everyday line came in 2003. It was devoted to summer, with subjects ranging from summer crafts for kids, blueberry treats, growing hydrangeas and decorating outdoors for a festive summer evening party. The contents included: Questions and Answers, Fun Ideas, Hydrangeas, Ready, Set, Summer!, Blue-sky Parties, Easy Annuals for Nonstop Color, Very Berry Treats, Rooms in Bloom, Bright Nights, How to Make it, How to Do it, Where to Find it. 





7 comments:

Rowaida said...

Hi Andrew,
Those were the best years, I miss them so much.
Beautiful magazine issues

Anonymous said...

Thank you for this post Andrew! Would love to see the whole brochure. I agree the KMART products were designed well and made to last. I bought many of her items in 2001 for my summer home on Cape Cod and still use them. The stainless steel pots & pans perform as well as my All-Clad. Also have these great Everyday glasses that MSL designed with grosgrain ribbon embossed on the rim. MS should reinvent this line and fill a void that is out there in the market place.

Brian

Anonymous said...

The good old days!

Anonymous said...

Just a couple of comments:
-The K-mart line was designed well , handsome packaging, excellent quality, and value ( I believe better quality then some Macy's items)
-the advertising/brochure is how advertising should be done ( in fact it would greatly aid itself if K-mart used it as inspiration instead for its current supermarket type adds)
-this comment maybe a little exaggerated , but we still have a current example of this type of advertising/ brochure.......unfortunately it is the (almost) monthly MS magazine!
APM


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Anonymous said...

Lord have Mercy, I have never seen these magazines. However, the bamboo garden rake I bought for 10 dollars at an estate sale looks just like the one pictured here, I will have to compare the two in the morning. And maybe it is marked EDL ??

Co.Co. said...

Thank you for the wonderful images of the days gone by. As Martha fans you will understand it when I say it's so bitter sweet. It's nice for the memories but makes my heart ache at the same time. Oh how I wish Martha would bring it all back! Thx again for the memories.

Anonymous said...

I was thinking about the previous comment. It seems odd that Ms Stewart's fan base can see so clearly the misdirection ( missed opportunity) of her publications/ business model and yet it does not change.
Is it that what once was economically possible is not any longer ( i.e. Larger more detailed content in magazine, better quality product line ). Or , just maybe, some of us see something that once was very special, but who's time has past?
APM

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