Visits to a Walmart, a Kmart and a Target in northeastern New Jersey uncovered varying philosophies about the placement and size of the kitchen-towel section.
All three stores have grocery sections, but only the Kmart, located in Dover, N.J., positioned its kitchen towels adjacent to the grocery area. The Kmart section, which measures 30 running feet, faces the store’s grocery aisles from across the racetrack to give the grocery shopper the idea for an add-on purchase. The section also presents itself as a resource for overall kitchen decor by offering placemats, kitchen rugs and chairpads. Table linens are on the opposite side of this aisle.
The Walmart, a supercenter located in Cedar Knolls, N.J., positions its kitchen towels as an add-on to cooking products. The kitchen towels are located on two runs of an aisle adjacent to the housewares section, with a total of 60 running feet of product. Walmart also includes kitchen rugs in the section. Its kitchen-towel offerings include multipacks of nine and 18 towels, labeled under Mainstays (Walmart’s own brand), Clorox, Better Homes & Gardens and Canopy.
Kmart and Walmart consider kitchen towels as part of the food-preparation process, but the Target, a SuperTarget in East Hanover, N.J., treats kitchen towels as part of the home-decor package. This store positions its kitchen towels in its home-textiles section, along a 30-foot run that covers half of a wall fixture. The towels are fixtured along with dishcloths, oven mitts and kitchen rugs. The other half of the wall presents table linens. Facing this wall are aisles of bedding and bath products.
The brands Target offers are a mix of private label and national. Among the former are Target Home and Room Essentials, and the latter are represented by Clorox, KitchenAid and Fieldcrest. The Target also displays dish cloths in five-packs, and mitts and potholders packaged as accessory sets.—David Gill
