
Macy's, which currently has an exclusive agreement with Martha Stewart Living for certain product lines, says the agreement would be violated by a new partnership for Martha Stewart “stores-within-a-store” at JCPenney.
JCPenney and Martha Stewart Living announced their plans in December, and said they would include items such as housewares, bedding, home décor and cookware in a February 2013 launch. That launch will now be delayed, although JCPenney will be allowed to roll out products not included in the restricted categories that fall under the existing Macy’s agreement. Of the 2,500 designs that Martha Stewart Living presented to JCPenney, 900 fall into the restricted categories.
The Martha Stewart Living collection is currently Macy’s top-selling home product line.