by If one can say anything about whole-home dynamo Martha Stewart, it’s that she never met an opportunity she didn’t like, recognize or monetize.
No stranger to home furnishings, Ms. Stewart established herself years ago partnering with well-known suppliers including Bernhardt.
Since then, she’s nimbly put her fingers in scores of pies and has extended her home furnishings assortments via partnerships with Macy’s Home Depot, Amazon, Wayfair and tons of exclusive deals including Martha by Martha Stewart Fine Furniture exclusively at One Kings Lane.
And at 81, Martha is sort of like the pandemic — seemingly everywhere and spreading.
Outside our sector, her recent deals feature her hawking Bic lighters, beverages from a new company called Liquid Death, selling apparel from hypebeast clothing brands, selling kitty litter and plugging Tito’s vodka.
Yesterday, I saw Martha on a TV spot promoting her partnership with a company called Medline. Medline and Martha have teamed up to introduce a new line of what the company describes as “design-inspired bed, bath and around-the-home safety and mobility products, helping those who use them feel and look their best.”
Ingenious! Leave it to the design diva to make the phrase “I’ve fallen, and I can’t get up!” not only fashionable, but desirable.
All kidding aside, Stewart proves one is never too old to see new opportunities. And let’s face it folks, there are opportunities associated with the fact that Americans are getting older by the moment.
According to recent stats, more than 55.8 million adults ages 65 and older live in the U.S., accounting for about 16.8% of the nation’s population. And since we are living longer, those numbers are going nowhere — nowhere but up.
Medline says the new line of functional, practical and affordable safety and mobility tools helps people in their recovery or aging efforts allowing them to do things better. In keeping with the goals and spirit of the Martha Stewart Center for Living at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York, Medline’s partnership with Martha continues her effort to help seniors age healthfully with the best care possible.
Designed exclusively for Medline, the new Martha Stewart offerings include:
- Gingham Offset Walking Cane — A bright, stylish gingham pattern adorns this solid aluminum walking cane for modern mobility at its best. The chic cane includes strong, sturdy support with a rubber tip on the bottom for slip-resistant balance. It also has a height-adjustment feature with locking collar, comfortable foam hand grip, and wrist strap to make walking a safe and fashionable experience all along the way.
- Momentum Rollator — This brightly designed rolling walker combines Martha’s chic, sporty checked pattern with Medline’s renowned functional features to create ease of use, safety and style whenever it is used. Its smooth rolling, all-terrain wheels make it easier to get around, while push-down locking brakes are ready for a rest stop at any time. Built-in under-seat storage with a tray conveniently holds personal items and small medical equipment. It easily folds open and closed for travel and storage and has adjustable easy-grip handles for a custom fit and fashionable function.
“We are excited to enter into this unique partnership that brings together Medline — health care’s No. 1 choice in mobility and bath safety aids — with the exceptional design of Martha Stewart,” said Dawn Freitag, Medline senior marketing manager. “Her signature style has always set the standard for better, more enjoyable living, and this line of mobility and bath safety products is no exception. We believe these fashionable, modern designs, along with our top-rated Medline quality and value pricing, will help our customers live their happiest, healthiest life with exceptional safety, security and style.”
Additional products include (for the bathroom) a Euro-style shower chair, Chrome Grab Bar and Premium Bathmat. Bedroom products include a Foam Wedge Cushion, Adjustable Bed Assist Bar, Height-Adjustable Overbed Table and Washable Under Pad. Around-the-home products include Foam Lumber and Foam Coccyx Cushions in addition to the Offset Canes and Adjustable Rolling Walker. The new Martha Stewart product line is designed to bring added enjoyment and safety with every use. It is available at Amazon and Walmart.com.
For as long as I have been reporting on the home furnishings sector, the topic of want versus need has always been in play.
I think it is safe to say that, with conditions being what they still are (more inventory than consumers to buy them, an economy still stuck in the mud, ongoing inflation, etc.), while consumers may want new residential furniture, they don’t necessarily need it, hence the flat sales.
However, targeting a market of more than 55 million seniors, whose physical conditions may demand one or more of the products Medline has introduced, and the need far outweighs the want.
For the record, while I am not advocating new nightstands that incorporate bed pans, I do think there may be a healthy chunk of untapped business from the health and wellness sector.
Martha, you may be 81 and maybe it comes from running with Snoop Dogg, but most marketers I know can’t keep up with you!
To see some of the products, click here.
