MyKmart

Hoping to ingratiate themselves to today's social media-savvy shoppers, Kmart and parent company Sears are test-driving two new community sites: MySears and MyKmart.

Built with help from consumer review socnet Viewpoints, the site enables users to write reviews, view polls and blogs, and follow either retailer on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and LinkedIn. Videos, a "featured reviewer" section and how-tos also feature prominently on each landing page.

VP-Community Rob Harles of Sears Holdings Corp. said the goal of the sites is not to become two more social networks in the fray. Instead, he hopes they'll be incorporated into existing social network experiences with help from APIs, such as Facebook Connect.

And while the sites were originally limited to older house moms, their breadth has broadened over the past few months, Harles added (via TechCrunch). Younger users are visiting the sites to learn more about products; Harles expressed his hope that the destinations will become a stepping-stone for younger parents to explore the social graph.

Netpop research reveals the typical social network user addresses 110 people per week and spends $101 online per month.