January 1, 2008
THE IMAGE MAKER
Jan 1, 2008 12:00 PM, By Jim Tierney
The once-iconic brand Sharper Image has in recent years become about as passe as the razor scooter it rode the decade in on. After peaking at $760 million...
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Little tweaks pay big for Skinner site
Jan 1, 2008 12:00 PM, By Ken Magill
If there are two constants in direct marketing that have translated to the Internet, they are that people never do what we think they'll do, and that...
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Send them packing
Jan 1, 2008 12:00 PM, By W. Eric Martin
Packing is a simple task requiring little or no thought: You pack the goods, seal the box, and send it to the shipping department. Right? Not quite. This...
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Victoria's story
Jan 1, 2008 12:00 PM, Melissa Dowling, Editor-in-Chief
When Victoria's Secret Direct opened a new, state-of-the-art distribution center in August, the women's apparel merchant no doubt figured it would have...
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Sears still seeking Restoration
Jan 1, 2008 12:00 PM, Jim Tierney
It looks like Sears Holdings Corp. is gaining ground in its quest to acquire Restoration Hardware for $269 million. Restoration Hardware at press time...
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Gander Mountain gets into water sports
Jan 1, 2008 12:00 PM, By Jim Tierney
Gander Mountain is on the fast track back into the catalog business. The St. Paul, MN-based sporting goods retailer announced Dec. 6 that it had acquired...
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Chocolatier restarts catalog, eyes China
Jan 1, 2008 12:00 PM, Jim Tierney
Chocolate Chocolate Chocolate is producing a catalog for the first time in more than four years. The St. Louis-based chocolatier in September mailed 65,000...
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Red Envelope's redo
Jan 1, 2008 12:00 PM, By Jim Tierney
Hoping to reverse its lackluster financial performance, Red Envelope last fall quietly revamped its brand. The gifts cataloger relaunched its Website...
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Calyx spins off Flowers in a Hatbox title
Jan 1, 2008 12:00 PM, By Monica Kitchen
Calyx Flowers is thinking inside the box for its new spin-off title, Flowers In A Hatbox. The 24-page catalog sells fresh flowers arranged in contemporary...
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Movers & shakers
Jan 1, 2008 12:00 PM
Eddie Bauer Holdings has announced three appointments: Marv Toland has been named senior vice president/chief financial officer; Freya R. Brier was appointed...
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Women's apparel buyers in vogue
Jan 1, 2008 12:00 PM, Monica Kitchen
Most women love to shop, especially for clothes and shoes. That's why women's apparel, with 33.4 million names, remains by far the largest segment of...
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Victoria's Secret's DC woes mount
Jan 1, 2008 12:00 PM, Jim Tierney
Problems with its new distribution center continue to plague Victoria's Secret Direct. Because integration issues in the DC are preventing the women's apparel merchant from meeting expected volume, it is reducing catalog circulation to suppress demand....
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Third quarter gets down to business
Jan 1, 2008 12:00 PM, By Jim Tierney
For the dozen business-to-business merchants and computer products marketers tracked by Multichannel Merchant, the third quarter brought strong revenue and income gains. ...
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A slight rebound in October
Jan 1, 2008 12:00 PM, Tim Parry
After months of posting declining volume, Catalog Tracker bounced back sort of. The service of Greenwich, CT-based list service provider Direct Media...
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PROBLEMS IN STORE?
Jan 1, 2008 12:00 PM, Jim Tierney
Most observers agree that Sharper Image CEO Steve Lightman has what it takes to run a direct business. But he doesn't have retail experience, and for...
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Up in smoke
Jan 1, 2008 12:00 PM
We all know that smoking is bad for us, and that not only should we quit, we should discourage others namely kids from trying cigarettes. To help people...
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Paper prices continue to climb
Jan 1, 2008 12:00 PM, By Jim Tierney
If you thought 2008 might bring relief from rising paper prices, think again: Industry watchers say reduced demand, several mill closures, along with rising energy and manufacturing costs, have rendered paper markets extremely tight....
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Control Freaks
Jan 1, 2008 12:00 PM, BY DAVID FRY
A woman goes online in search of a new blouse. She's not exactly sure of what she's looking for, so she asks her sister to shop with her. Her sister thinks...
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When less equals More
Jan 1, 2008 12:00 PM, BY MICHELLE EICHNER AND LEN SHNEYDER
At some point, every marketer has asked this question: If I send more e-mail, can I expect a greater return? Conceptually, more e-mail means more eyeballs,...
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Branding Alchemy
Jan 1, 2008 12:00 PM, BY ANDREA SYVERSON
We already know that these gestures are created by many marketers, merchants, creatives, and customer care folks, who all contributing actions on a daily...
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FUNDAMENTALS OF MERCHANDISING
Jan 1, 2008 12:00 PM, By Leila T. Griffith
Product is the lifeblood of your business So when was the last time you put any serious thought into the way you merchandise your catalog, Website, or...
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Merge/purge for small mailers
Jan 1, 2008 12:00 PM, GINA VALENTINO
You know you have to combine multiple lists and run them through software to single out duplicate records before a catalog mailing. But the merge/purge...
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Give me the Goods
Jan 1, 2008 12:00 PM, BY CURT BARRY
Inventory is most likely the largest balance sheet asset in your company. How well you plan, purchase, and manage your inventory largely determines your...
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MAKING A RATE CASE
Jan 1, 2008 12:00 PM, BY ROB MARTINEZ
When your shipping costs go up, it would be nice if you could just pass that increase along to your customers. But you can't: Multiple studies show that...
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back word
Jan 1, 2008 12:00 PM
Frederick's Von Teeses customers with cover girl For the first time in its 60-year history, Frederick's of Hollywood features a celebrity on its catalog...
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LETTERS
Jan 1, 2008 12:00 PM
Curb your enthusiasm for co-ops The November article Co-ops Crippling Catalog List Business tells only half a story. Millard Group's Bill LaPierre cites...
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TALES FROM THE FRONT
Jan 1, 2008 12:00 PM
The big delivers A Multichannel Merchant staffer ordered a rug from the Overstock.com Website for the first time on a Saturday night in late November....
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