Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia Teams with Age Group and PetSmart to Create and Market New Line of Pet Products

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Tue Oct 20, 2009 9:16am EDT

Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia Teams with Age Group and PetSmart to Create
and Market New Line of Pet Products
Apparel, Bedding, Grooming Supplies and More to Debut at PetSmart Stores in
Second Quarter of 2010







NEW YORK, Oct. 20 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia,
Inc. (NYSE: MSO) announced today that it has entered into a multi-year
relationship with Age Group Ltd. to manufacture, market and sell pet-care
products, which will be sold through PetSmart, Inc. (Nasdaq: PETM), the
largest specialty retailer of services and solutions for pets. The line will
include a wide range of pet accessories, including apparel, collars, leashes,
bedding, grooming supplies, toys and more. The first products are expected to
roll out in the second quarter of 2010.


(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20091020/NY95154 )


Martha Stewart is widely known for her devotion to animals. Pet-related
content is featured in Martha Stewart Living and on the nationally syndicated
daily TV series The Martha Stewart Show; Martha Stewart Living Radio on SIRIUS
XM offers pet programming daily. The company recently introduced a pets
channel on marthastewart.com, including "The Daily Wag," a popular blog
written from the perspective of Martha's beloved French Bulldogs, Francesca
and Sharkey. Martha herself is actively involved in promoting animal welfare;
earlier this year she was recognized for her efforts with the ASPCA
Presidential Service Award.


Martha Stewart, Founder of MSLO, said, "I have always loved having a lot of
pets - dogs, cats and birds, and consider them members of my family. It is
very important to me that domestic animals be well fed, well groomed and well
cared for, and I have always prided myself on the good health and happiness of
my pets. I look forward to working with Age Group and PetSmart to provide
other pet owners with the types of Martha Stewart-designed products that will
keep pets happy, safe and healthy."


"We're bringing two world class brands together under one roof," said Matt
McAdam, PetSmart's Vice President of Merchandising. "By being the only pet
specialty retailer to offer Martha Stewart's pet products, we're giving our
pet parents yet one more reason to shop our stores to find the unique
solutions they want and need to keep their pets healthy and happy."


MSLO Executive Chairman and Principal Executive Officer Charles Koppelman
stated, "We see tremendous potential for MSLO in the estimated $50 billion
pets market and are very pleased to begin establishing a retail presence in
this category through PetSmart. This new relationship is an important addition
to MSLO's growing portfolio of Merchandising partnerships, which includes our
recently announced agreement with The Home Depot to develop an exclusive
Martha Stewart Living brand of home improvement products; our Martha Stewart
Collection of home products exclusively at Macy's; as well as our Martha
Stewart Crafts line available at Michaels and specialty crafts stores, among
others. Through these programs we continue to deliver on our promise to
provide consumers the Martha Stewart products they want and need wherever they
shop."


Age Group Ltd., which will manufacture the new product line, has been in
business for over 25 years. With over 15 licensed properties, the company's
labels include Hello Kitty, Disney, Roca Wear, American Tourister and more. In
addition, Age Group merchandises and designs for many retailers under private
label agreements, including Macy's, Wal-Mart, Kmart, Target and Kohl's.


"We're very excited to be working with Martha Stewart and her team of
designers and pet experts, pairing our product development, marketing and
retail distribution knowledge and capabilities with such a trusted and
influential brand," said Sarah Gerard, President of Age Group's Pet Division.


Robin Marino, MSLO's President and Chief Executive Officer of Merchandising,
said: "These important new relationships extend our brand's presence in the
pet marketplace. We look forward to offering consumers inspired, well designed
products they will love giving their pets."


According to the 2009/2010 National Pet Owners Survey, an estimated 71 million
U.S. households include at least one pet. In 2008, consumers spent an
estimated $52 billion on their pets, a number that has more than doubled in
less than a decade*.  Approximately one-third of those expenditures are
dedicated to pet supplies, grooming and boarding.


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 on SIRIUS channel 112 and XM Radio 157. 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 at Wal-Mart, Michaels and independent
retailers, Martha Stewart for 1-800-FLOWERS.COM and a co-branded food line
with Costco. In 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 Age Group


Age Group Ltd. is an innovative wholesale manufacturer that has been in
business for more than 25 years. Product categories include a full range of
pet accessories, human apparel for men, women and children, juniors
accessories and travel items including luggage and cases. Age Group is proud
to be a leader in the industry and is noted particularly for being a "Top
Resource" for up to the minute fashion with excellent quality and value. 


About PetSmart


PetSmart, Inc. is the largest specialty pet retailer of services and solutions
for the lifetime needs of pets. The company operates more than 1,145 pet
stores in the United States and Canada, 156 in-store PetSmart PetsHotel® cat
and dog boarding facilities, and is a leading online provider of pet supplies
and pet care information (www.petsmart.com). PetSmart provides a broad range
of competitively priced pet food and pet products; and offers complete pet
training, pet grooming, pet boarding, Doggie Day Camp(sm) pet day care
services and pet adoption services. Since 1994, PetSmart Charities, Inc., an
independent 501( c )(3) non-profit animal welfare organization, has funded
more than $87 million in grants and programs benefiting animal welfare
organizations and, through its in-store pet adoption programs, has helped save
the lives of more than 3.6 million pets. 


*Source: U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics Consumer
Expenditure Surveys, 2008 estimate by Dillon Media LLC




SOURCE  Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia

Media, Elizabeth Estroff, +1-212-827-8281, eestroff@marthastewart.com, or
Investors/Media, Katherine Nash, +1-212-827-8722, knash@marthastewart.com,
both for MSLO; or media, Kiri Franco, +212 213 9500, Kiri@agegroupltd.com, for
Age Group; or PetSmart, +1-623-587-2177
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