Small Catalogs Forum: Holiday Prep

CATALOG AGE asks, “Given the sluggish economy, how are you preparing for the holiday season?”

JIM WINJUM is operations manager at Schnee’s, a footwear cataloger based in Bozeman, MT: We will be carefully analyzing our mailing patterns and list rental costs in hopes that we can make our prospecting efforts more cost-effective.

BILL VARNEY is co-owner of Frederickburg, TX-based herbal products marketer Fredericksburg Herb Farm: We saw a major downturn in January, February, and early March, but now things are back on track. Our plan is to expand existing product lines, since we think business will be strong in the fourth quarter.

TERRY POWERS is the founder of Computer Gear, a Redmond, WA-based cataloger of computer-themed novelties: We will continue to monitor sales, and if they decline we will prospect less, mail deeper into our house file, and increase online marketing.