Maternity and baby products cataloger/Web marketer E-Style is embracing a new channel. The Los Angeles-based company plans to open its first store in November.
E-Style, which includes the Babystyle.com and Kidstyle.com Websites, actually plans to open two stores in southern California by the end of the year, though president/chief operating officer Tom Park says that the exact opening dates and locations have not yet been determined.
E-Style was founded as a Website in 1999; the company tested a catalog the next year and rolled it out in summer 2001. The catalog plays an important role in E-Style’s strategy–particularly for customer acquisition, Park says. In fact, 50% of the orders from the spring catalog were from new customers.
For 2002, E-Style will mail 2.5 million catalogs; the four editions include a 40-page summer book and a 60-page fall/holiday book. In the catalogs, Park says, “our apparel comes to life a little more than on the Website; retail will now enable customers to feel the product fabrications, etc.”