Mass merchandiser Kmart Holding Corp. relaunched its Web site yesterday in time for the holidays.
The news follows Kmart's planned $11 billion merger with department store chain Sears, Roebuck and Co., Hoffman Estates, IL.
New features at kmart.com include a user-friendly interface for easier navigation, better search capabilities and access to SKUs covering all Kmart products and brands.
E-commerce specialist Fry Inc. reconstructed kmart.com with its Open Commerce Platform. The solution lets Kmart, Troy, MI, better update its site regularly, with flexibility to create and manage promotions online for seasonal and special campaigns.
Fry, Ann Arbor, MI, will host and manage Kmart's site on an ongoing basis. The company offers its services to Crate and Barrel, Godiva Chocolatier, Food Network, Home & Garden Television, Spiegel, Eddie Bauer, AAA Michigan, Brookstone, Domaine Chandon, Unilever and the Auto Club Group.
Kmart's e-commerce team collaborated with Fry. Among other vendors, NewRoads Inc., Martinsville, VA, handles fulfillment and CommerceHub, Albany, NY, handles drop-ship fulfillment management with its platform and applications.
A key improvement on kmart.com is the search and browsing technology from Fry partner Endeca, Cambridge, MA. Endeca shares some of the same clients as Fry. Its list also includes 1-800-Flowers.com Inc., IBM, Quick & Reilly, Tesco, Commonwealth Financial, Arrow Electronics, Home Shopping Network, lastminute.com and barnesandnoble.com.
With Endeca's help, shoppers on kmart.com can choose from highlighted items by brand, department or price range.
Other site enhancements include customized wish lists, an online gift-wrapping service and more product information with larger images and color swatches. The site prominently promotes store brands such as Martha Stewart Everyday, Thalia Sodi, Jaclyn Smith and Route 66. A new partnership with Martha's Flowers is introduced as well.
A new holiday wish list promotion yields a daily winner of $500 worth of kmart.com merchandise.
