The winter, not the war, played a major role in spring sales results for Venus Swimwear. The Jacksonville, FL-based company mails the WinterSilks catalog of silk long undergarments and the Venus Swimwear title of women’s swimsuits. Spring sales were up at both books, but WinterSilks saw a 16% increase vs. a 5% boost for Venus.
At Venus Swimwear, “Our mail plan is slightly more cautious this year than normal,” says president Daryle Scott. “But because of the war we’ve cut back some. Normally in the spring season we would have been quite aggressive with double-digit circulation increases, but this year we’ve played it safe with only single digit increases in circulation.”
Madison, WI-based WinterSilks’ circulation was flat compared with last year, so its sales increase was especially significant. For certain, Scott says, the catalog’s sales “were goosed by the cold winter weather.” As further proof that sales have surged, WinterSilks normally mails three spring sale catalogs to move excess merchandise. This spring, its mailed only two sales catalogs to clear excess inventory, Scott says.