• Brandweek, Friday, April 9, 2010 10:49 AM

Kmart CMO Mark Snyder chats with Elaine Wong about the company's popular layaway program, its increasing focus on "value" and the Everyday Great Price program, its heightened effort to attract teens to its aisles, some new products, social media marketing and other forthcoming initiatives in a far-reaching Q&A.

Jaclyn Smith is celebrating her 25th year with the retailer with a new line this spring; Selena Gomez is launching an exclusive line; Jones Apparel Group's GLO line recently hit stores, and there are also new items from Joe Boxer and Top Light. Snyder says that apparel is a "huge" category for the brand. "Expect more from us in terms of great apparel news," he says.

Snyder agrees with the sentiment that consumers remain sensitive to price (see Wal-Mart item above). "If you think about the way shopping behaviors were before the recession -- purchases were very impulse-driven, credit card-focused and self-gratifying -- she is much more planful now," he says. Take heart, though. In the great cycle of economics, it's no doubt only a matter of time before she is "more buyful" again.

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