SAN FRANCISCO — Internet retailer BlueLight.com said Wednesday it will improve its efficiency and profitability by using the resources of its majority investor, Kmart Corp.
Part of that plan means the San Francisco-based online retailer will use of the marketing and merchandising resources of Troy, Mich.-based Kmart, and eliminate some jobs in its merchandising and marketing departments, said David Karraker, a BlueLight spokesman.
“Basically, the board of directors took a look at the e-commerce (business) place, which is pretty soft right now,” he said. “They needed to make the decision of how to keep BlueLight profitable.”
Karraker said since BlueLight is a privately owned company, it does not have to announce the number of jobs that will be cut by its plans to restructure.
BlueLight.com was formed in 1999 by Kmart Corporation and SOFTBANK Venture Capital with an investment by Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, Inc.
BlueLight will continue to support its online shopping site, free Internet service, in-store kiosk initiative and other related programs from its offices in San Francisco.
Karraker said the company will also remain independent.
