Martha Stewart Crafts Expands Into Wal-Mart Stores

Martha Stewart Crafts Expands Into Wal-Mart Stores

Two New Assortments of Products, Martha Stewart Create(TM) and Martha Stewart Celebrate(TM), Debut in Wal-Mart Stores in the U.S. and Canada

NEW YORK, July 9 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, Inc. (NYSE:MSO) today announced its Martha Stewart Crafts line is expanding into Wal-Mart stores in the U.S. and Canada. Two new assortments -- Martha Stewart Create and Martha Stewart Celebrate -- are debuting in the majority of Wal-Mart stores across the U.S. and Canada this month.

   (Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20080709/NYW040-a )   (Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20080709/NYW040-b )  

Martha Stewart Create features crafting essentials and memory-keeping products such as paper, cutting mats, tools, pens, markers, glitter, and ribbons. The assortment also contains craft and activity kits including jewelry-making kits, pipe-cleaner-animal kits, memory-keeping kits, party decor kits, and card-making kits.

Martha Stewart Celebrate showcases ready-made, paper-based weddings essentials such as stationery, guest books, embellishments, favor boxes, cake toppers, and customizable centerpieces, as well as flower baskets and ring pillows.

For more than 25 years, Martha Stewart has been inspiring consumers with unique how-to ideas for special occasions and crafts, arenas in which Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia (MSLO) has national brand recognition and expertise. Created by MSLO's design teams, led by Martha Stewart, the new assortments feature high-quality, easy-to-use products that are designed especially for the mass retail shopper. MSLO teamed with EK Success, one of the country's leading scrapbooking and creative consumer products companies to manufacture, market and sell the products.

Martha Stewart, Founder of MSLO, stated, "Sharing ideas and inspiration about crafting and celebrations are an integral part of our company and all that we offer. With Martha Stewart Create at Wal-Mart, consumers will experience the satisfaction that comes from making things by hand. With Martha Stewart Celebrate, we will be able to provide beautiful, creative solutions for party-giving from intimate gatherings to large celebrations such as weddings. Anything that makes the job of the host and hostess easier is of the utmost importance to us."

Martha Stewart Crafts launched in 2007 at arts and crafts stores in the U.S. and Canada. That same year, MSLO further extended its footprint in the $30 billion U.S. crafts market with an investment in Wilton Industries, which owns EK Success.

"We continue to grow our crafting and celebrations-related businesses so that our consumers have easy, convenient access to our beautiful, high-quality products that make occasions more memorable," stated Robin Marino, President of Merchandising and Co-Chief Executive Officer at MSLO.

"In a short amount of time, this brand has become an integral part of our corporation's portfolio of brands," said Kevin Fick, President, EK Success. "We are excited that this expansion into Wal-Mart fulfills the need in the marketplace to bring a national brand to this important and growing category while reaching so many new consumers."

About Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, Inc.

Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, Inc. (NYSE:MSO) is a diversified media and merchandising company, inspiring and engaging consumers with unique lifestyle content and distinctive products. The Publishing segment encompasses four magazines, including the company's flagship publication, Martha Stewart Living, periodic special issues and books. The marthastewart.com website provides consumers with instant access to MSLO's multimedia library, search and find capabilities, recipes, online workshops, community and personalization, as well as wedding-planning tools powered by WeddingWire. The Broadcasting segment produces such programming as the Emmy-winning daily, nationally syndicated television series, "The Martha Stewart Show," and Martha Stewart Living Radio, channel 112 on SIRIUS Satellite Radio. In addition to its media properties, MSLO offers high-quality Martha Stewart products through licensing agreements with carefully selected companies, including the Martha Stewart Collection exclusively at Macy's, Martha Stewart Everyday at Kmart, Martha Stewart Crafts with EK Success, Martha Stewart for 1-800-Flowers.com and a co-branded food line with Costco. In April 2008, Emeril Lagasse joined the Martha Stewart family of brands; MSLO acquired the assets related to Lagasse's media and merchandising business, including television programming, cookbooks, and emerils.com website and his licensed kitchen and food products. For additional information about MSLO, visit www.marthastewart.com.

About EK Success

Established in 1978, EK Success is a creative consumer products company with the leading market position in the $3 billion scrapbooking segment of the U.S. craft industry. With more than 6,000 products, EK Success focuses on education, inspiration, and innovation through its widely-used, award-winning scrapbooking and paper crafting supplies. EK Success, acquired by private equity firm GTCR Golder Rauner LLC in 2006, acquired Wilton Industries, Inc and Dimensions Holdings, LLC in August 2007. The combined companies will be renamed Wilton Products, Inc. EK Success also is the strategic partner with Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, Inc. (NYSE:MSO) in developing and producing the Martha Stewart Crafts(TM) line.

First Call Analyst:
FCMN Contact: eestroff@marthastewart.com

Photo: NewsCom: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20080709/NYW040-a
http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20080709/NYW040-b
AP Archive: http://photoarchive.ap.org/
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PRN Photo Desk, photodesk@prnewswire.com

Source: Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, Inc.

CONTACT: Elizabeth Estroff, Corporate Communications, of Martha Stewart
Living Omnimedia, +1-212-827-8281, eestroff@marthastewart.com; or Emily Reaman
of Susan Magrino Agency for MSLO, +1-212-957-3005, Emily@smapr.com; or Andrea
Silva, Marketing Manager for EK Success, +1-973-458-0092, Extension 1580,
Asilva@eksuccess.com

Web site: http://www.marthastewart.com/

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Profile: International Entertainment