Barrie Pace Website keeps apace

Women’s apparel cataloger Barrie Pace has relaunched its Website in a major way. Formerly used solely to liquidate merchandise, the site now sells the company’s full product line at full price.

The Web initiative is part of parent company Hartmarx’s effort to grow Barrie Pace’s sales, says Hartmarx chairman/CEO Elbert O. Hand. “In 2002, we intend to market the catalog more aggressively. We’ve got to find a way to get new buyers. We think the catalog has the potential to be a $40 million business,” he says, adding that “getting to the $35 million-$37 million sales range would be an improvement.”

The site relaunch is just the latest in a series of changes for the cataloger. In October, president Beth McCall resigned. Days later, vice president of finance Larry Scholl departed as well. Hartmarx, whose core business is manufacturing licensed apparel, has no plans to replace either of them.