HSN Acquires Chasing Fireflies

| Tim Parry

Crosschannel retailer HSN has acquired upscale children’s apparel seller Chasing Fireflies, and will make it a part of the Cornerstone Brands operating segment. Terms of the deal were not disclosed, but HSN has said Chasing Fireflies will continue to operate as an independent brand.

Executive Roundtable: Presidents and CEOs Talk Critical Topics

| Jim Tierney

We convened a diverse group of 10 presidents and CEOs for a roundtable discussion at the NEMOA Conference, held in Boston on March 14. The list of topics included the economy, the potential impact of a presidential election year, viral videos, the role of the catalog, Amazon, mobile and tablet strategies, corrugated packaging, the need for speed, discounting, and building online communities. Here’s which executives attended, and what they had to tell us.

How Creative Catalog Copy Drives Online Engagement

| Matthew Fey

The proliferation of blogs and social media culture links you to a wealth of potential customers and selling opportunities. But it will take more than just plucking an assortment of product copy off the catalog page and dropping it into these digital arenas to engage consumers. Here’s how to use catalog copy to drive readers to your blog and Facebook and Twitter accounts.

Direct Sales Drop 5.4% at Frederick’s of Hollywood

| Tim Parry

Bucking a trend seen by b-to-c retailers, poor sales in its direct channels has hurt apparel merchant Frederick’s of Hollywood. Though company chairman and CEO Thomas Lynch attributed a net sales decrease for the second quarter ended Jan. 28 to post-Christmas clearance sales, it was the second straight quarter that direct channels have put Frederick’s sales in the red.