Kmart Marketing Chief to Leave Post

Kmart’s Senior Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer Bill Stewart is leaving as after two years on the job, Sears Holdings Corp. said yesterday.

Stewart, who took the marketing job in April 2006, plans to volunteer full time for Equality for All, a group formed to defeat a measure to ban gay marriage, which will appear on California ballots this fall. His last day is June 30.

A search is underway to replace Stewart, a company spokesperson said. In the interim, the Kmart marketing team will report to Maureen McGuire, executive vice president and chief marketing officer for the parent company.

Stewart joined Kmart from Levi-Strauss & Co., where he worked as vice president of marketing for Dockers. During that time, he was credited with repositioning and strengthening the brand. Before that, he held senior marketing posts at the Coca-Cola Co. and General Mills.

His departure comes at a time when Sears Holdings posted its biggest quarterly loss since Sears and Kmart were combined under one entity three years ago. In the meantime, Kmart has been ramping up its marketing and consumer promotions to drive people to its stores.

Its most recent promotion ties to Universal Studios’ and Marvel Studios’ recent release of "The Hulk" (Promo Xtra, June 10, 2008).

A text messaging promotion, which offers the chance to win a trip to Universal Studios Orlando, FL, ends on Saturday.