Many stores are beginning to receive replacement product for house branded items in food pantry, chemical pantry and pet supplies that are being paid for cash up front, being sourced from other suppliers, or with 30 day terms.
These items will not have Smart Sense/Image Essentials/Essential Home/Cat & Co./Champion Breed branding on them but the manufacturer's own labels.
This way, the manufacturers won't be stuck with truckloads of Kmart branded product should the company cut orders or be unable to meet agreed upon payment terms. In some cases, the company's per unit cost is lower, based on what I have seen through the RMU... giving these items a higher margin.
One example: Shearer Foods, which supplies Smart Sense brand salty snacks, crackers and cookies, started shipping their own brand product into distribution centers already.
Expect to see the same type of branding changes in other departments.