It would be great to report that some startling new trend or revelation could be seen among the companies that make up this year’s Multichannel Merchant 100 (formerly the Catalog Age 100). But there isn’t one.
Once again the 10 companies with the greatest annual catalog/Internet revenue are business-to-business merchants, led by the one-two punch of computer giants Dell and IBM. Once again J.C. Penney Co. (#12) is the largest consumer marketer, followed by Sears, Roebuck & Co. (#16). And once again, the number of companies reporting year-over-year sales increases has increased.
In fact, 83 of the companies on this year’s list of the 100 largest print and online catalogers saw year-over-year sales growth. That’s a 19% increase from the 70 companies on last year’s list that enjoyed year-over-year sales growth and a 38% jump from the 60 companies two years ago.
What’s more, only 11 of this year’s Multichannel Merchant 100 suffered declines in year-over-year sales revenue, compared with 21 of last year’s merchants. The remaining six companies had flat sales, as did nine last year.
Among the companies that reversed the previous year’s slide in sales, Premier Farnell (#33) benefited in part by growth in the overall electronics marketplace during the first half of 2004, as well as by expanding its product offerings. To attract more business from design engineers, it added 28,000 SKUs to its Newark InOne catalog. Expansion into Canada and Mexico, meanwhile, helped grow sales of Premier’s TPC Wire & Cable catalog 10%. All told, Premier Farnell’s North American sales rose more than 8%, to $607.5 million. In comparison, in 2003 sales had declined nearly 7%.
As was the case with Premier Farnell, sales at K+K America (#59) reflected growth among the industrial market that makes up much of its audience. In 2003 revenue for the supplier of packaging and industrial safety supplies, warehouse and office furniture, and restaurant and retail equipment declined — albeit less than 1% — to $317.7 million. In 2004 it grew 16%, to $369.2 milllion, with the Hubert (restaurant and retail supplies), C&H (material-handling products), and Canadian and Mexican businesses performing especially well.
The educational products market had been somewhat shaky in 2003, leading to a nearly 2% decline in sales that year for Aristotle Corp. (#100). In 2004, though, the parent company of the Nasco family of educational supplies catalogs grew sales more than 7%, to $175.1 million, thanks largely to what the company in its annual report called “overall stabilization of general national and international economic conditions.”
At apparel cataloger/retailer The Talbots (#75), combined catalog and Internet sales increased 5%, to $243.2 million, after having declined nearly 4% the previous year. Overall sales rose nearly 5% as well, to nearly $1.70 billion, despite some weakness in Talbots’ children’s and dresses divisions. For the direct division, however, 2004 was the most profitable year to date, which the company credits to improved circulation and a 27% jump in online sales.
Another apparel cataloger/retailer, J. Crew Group (#90), made even more of a comeback. In 2003 its direct sales had plummeted 30%, to $173.5 million, on a nearly 20% cut in circulation. And while some cataloger/retailers, such as Coldwater Creek (#69) and J. Jill Group (#92), saw direct sales decline as their retail and overall revenue grew, such wasn’t the case for J. Crew: Its 2003 total revenue had dropped more than 10%, to $688.3 million.
But in 2004, J. Crew showed why its chairman/CEO Mickey Drexler, formerly of The Gap, is known as a turnaround maestro. Direct sales grew nearly 12%, to $193.5 million, despite another 6% cut in catalog circulation. Total revenue increased 17%, to $688.3 million. In the months since Drexler joined the company in 2003, J. Crew Group has focused on strengthening its merchandising and quality control, increasing the number of new styles sold during the second half of the year by 40% last year.
Let’s make a deal
Economic stability and internal improvements weren’t the sole causes for revenue growth, of course. In what is again hardly a new trend, a number of multichannel companies grew via acquisition.
Newport Corp. (#70), for instance, more than doubled its annual revenue by purchasing a larger company, Spectra-Physics.
Patterson Cos. (#13) has been on something of a buying streak during the past few years. In September 2003 the supplier of dental and veterinary products entered the physical rehabilitation market with its purchase of $220 million AbilityOne Products Corp. It bolstered that unit by acquiring $40 million Medco Supply Co. in May 2004. But Patterson wasn’t ignoring its other divisions: It purchased regional veterinary supplier ProVet in April 2004 and Milburn Distributions, a $50 million-plus supplier of equine veterinary supplies, in October 2004, and acquired $9 million CAESY Education Systems, a dental education distributor, in May 2004. The acquisitions contributed mightily to Patterson’s 24% rise in revenue, to more than $2.33 billion.
On a smaller scale, Brady Corp. (#64) bought $55 million EMED Co. in May 2004. Brady paid $190 million for the manufacturer/marketer of identification and safety products, which was a key competitor with its own Seton Identification Products division. Brady ended 2004 with estimated direct sales of $350 million, up nearly 17% from the previous year.
The February 2004 purchase of $35 million Monterey Clothing Co. by Crosstown Traders (#46) contributed to the latter’s 15% rise in sales, to $460 million. The acquisition added the Monterey Bay and California Style women’s apparel titles to the Crosstown Trader stable, which includes Brownstone Studios, Coward Shoes, Lew Magram, and Regalia — a stable that was purchased this year by retailer Charming Shoppes.
Several other companies on the Multichannel Merchant 100 were also scooped up in major acquisitions this year. The $988.8 million School Specialty (#24), which had acquired three smaller companies in 2004, agreed in May 2005 to be bought by Bain Capital Partners for roughly $1.5 billion. Also in May, Neiman Marcus Group (#35), which had sold Chef’s Catalog in November 2004, agreed to be acquired by Texas Pacific Group and Warburg Pincus. The investment groups intend to pay $5.1 billion for the $3.7 billion cataloger/retailer. (Texas Pacific, incidentally, is an investor in J. Crew.) The previous month, Cornerstone Brands (#29), the $720 million parent company of Frontgate, Ballard Designs, and Garnet Hill, among other catalogs, was sold to IAC/Interactive Corp. for approximately $760 million.
No doubt those investors are hoping to see the same sort of return enjoyed by Wasserstein & Co. with Bear Creek Corp. (#53). Wasserstein had led a leveraged buyout of the parent company of Harry and David and Jackson & Perkins in June 2004 — and recouped its investment just eight months later.
Where’d they go?
Several perennials appear to have fallen off this year’s ranking — but they’re actually still here, in disguise.
Take last year’s #24, Spiegel Inc. The catalogs that had been part of the one-time general merchandise catalog/retail giant occupy two slots on this year’s list. Eddie Bauer Holdings (#64) rose from the remains of bankrupt Spiegel Inc. in June 2005, following its reorganization. Spiegel Inc.’s two other catalogs, Spiegel and Newport News, had been bought by senior management and private equity firm Golden Gate Capital the previous summer; they now form Catalog Holdings Corp. (#39).
Another anonymous-sounding moniker, Direct Holdings Worldwide (#73) is the parent company of Lillian Vernon Corp., last year’s #88. ZelnickMedia and Ripplewood Holdings had acquired Vernon in July 2003; five months later they bought Time Life, the music and video direct marketing division of the Time Inc. division of Time Warner. The two direct merchants were combined to form Direct Holdings.
And last year’s #43, New England Business Service (NEBS), can be found within Deluxe Corp. (#62), the checks marketer that acquired NEBS in May 2004. Deluxe’s $363.2 million in direct sales for 2004 is in fact its revenue from NEBS in the months since the acquisition.
METHODOLOGY
The Multichannel Merchant 100 was compiled by staffers Mark Del Franco, John Fischer, Heather Retzlaff, Margery Weinstein, and Sherry Chiger and freelancer Francine Almash through public records, data card analysis, and input from financial analysts and sources within the industry. To ensure the accuracy of all statistics, Multichannel Merchant tried to contact executives at each company. Some companies declined to confirm sales totals; others did not return messages. In those cases, or when companies would provide only approximate sales, an asterisk indicates that the figure is an estimate. Multichannel Merchant also estimated the mail order and Web sales of multichannel firms that don’t report them separately. In some cases, the figures for 2003 differ from those reported last year, due to updated information.
Sales are for the calendar years 2004 and 2003. When a company’s fiscal year varied from the calendar year by more than one month, Multichannel Merchant backed out the financial data to obtain calendar-year sales. Whenever possible, revenue figures are net of sales taxes and shipping and handling revenue. For parent companies such as Staples and Sears, the sales figures listed are for their catalog/Internet divisions only. Likewise, for cataloger/retailers such as Williams-Sonoma and Coldwater Creek, sales figures are only for their direct divisions, unless otherwise indicated.
A few major gainers
Newport Corp.
How does a company more than double its revenue in a year? By acquiring a larger company. It worked for Newport Corp. (#70), a manufacturer/marketer of precision technology. In July 2004 it acquired $200 million Spectra-Physics for $300 million. The result: Sales of $285.8 million for 2004 — as well as a net loss of $81.4 million.
Blyth
A substantial acquisition also accounted for the 75% leap in direct revenue for Blyth (#90), to $193.5 million. The parent company of Miles Kimball had acquired competitor Walter Drake in December 2003. Although integrating the operations has been more challenging than Blyth expected, the manufacturer/marketer was happy enough with the performance of the catalogs and Websites to have launched a consumer book for its flagship Colonial Candle brand.
Tesso Technologies
Revenue for the supplier of wireless technology and services (#45) climbed 57% during the calendar year, to $469.7 million. Sales to commercial and government customers grew more than 20%. But more than 40% of the company’s revenue came from an affinity partnership with T-Mobile — which was scheduled to end this month.
Nordstrom
The 28% jump in annual direct sales for the apparel cataloger/retailer (#57) was due entirely to its Web business; catalog sales in fact decreased 3%, in keeping with the company’s strategy to shift direct shoppers to the Web. Internet sales climbed 53% for the year — apparently enough to convince Nordstrom to phase out its mail order catalogs entirely.
W.W. Grainger
The marketer of maintenance, repair, and operating (MRO) supplies (#26) grew its direct sales 21%, thanks in large part to online sales growth of more than 25%. Even at the company’s Lab Safety Supply division, whose growth in recent years had been due to acquisitions, revenue increased 10%, while total sales grew 8%, to $5.05 billion. The company credits technology upgrades, the hiring of additional sales professionals, and improved product availability for its strong performance.
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Taking a dip
Blair Corp.
The 15% drop in sales at Blair (#42), to $496.1 million, resulted from circulation cutbacks and the winding down of its Crossing Pointe women’s apparel business. Both decisions were made with an eye on increasing profit — and the nearly $86 million decline in revenue didn’t hurt the bottom line any. Net income for 2004 was $14.9 million, compared with $14.5 million the previous year.
Coldwater Creek and J. Jill Group
Both of these women’s apparel cataloger/retailers saw direct sales decline but overall revenue increase, as both continue their retail expansion. At Coldwater Creek (#69), combined catalog/Internet sales fell 9%, to $294.1 million, on a comparable cut in circulation. But overall revenue rose 14%, to $590.3 million. More impressive still, Coldwater’s net income more than doubled, from $12.3 million in 2003 to $29.1 million. At J. Jill (#92), direct sales fell 5%, to $191.0 million, on a 3% decline in circulation. Total sales increased 15%, to $434.9 million, and income rose 24%, to $8.7 million.
Black Box Corp.
2004 was the third year in a row that the provider of computer networking products and services (#40) suffered a decline in sales. Revenue for the year was $507.6 million, down 3% from 2003 and down 37% from 2001’s $808.6 million. The company’s January 2005 acquisition of Norstan, a $200 million provider of voice and data technologies, should reverse the slide.
Alloy
Considering that Alloy (#98) folded two of its catalogs in early 2004 — Girlfriends L.A. and Old Glory — the company’s less than 2% decline in direct revenue wasn’t a major concern. The company had also reduced circulation of its Alloy teen apparel book and its Dan’s Comp and CCS sports-gear catalogs to prospects and inactive buyers.
The Rankings
| Rank | Company | 2004 direct sales (in millions) | 2003 direct sales (in millions) | Market segment | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dell Round Rock, TX 512-338-4400 |
$49,205.0 | $41,444.0 | computers, consumer electronics | includes sales from 72 kiosks nationwide |
| 2 | International Business Machines Armonk, NY 914-499-1900 |
$7,166.4* | $7,489.2* | computers | sold personal computing division, Dec. 2004 |
| 3 | CDW Vernon Hills, IL 845-465-6000 |
$5,737.8 | $4,664.6 | computers | direct Web sales of nearly $1.53 billion |
| 4 | Corporate Express Broomfield, CO 303-664-2000 |
$4,861.5 | $4,456.7 | office supplies | Web accounts for 25% of sales |
| 5 | Fisher Scientific International Hampton, NH 603-925-5911 |
$4,662.7 | $3,564.4 | lab supplies | 60% of SKUs are proprietary |
| 6 | OfficeMax Itasca, IL 630-773-5000 |
$4,371.0 | $3,742.0 | office supplies | private-label products account for 12% of sales |
| 7 | Staples Framingham, MA 508-253-5000 |
$4,196.9 | $3,702.3 | office supplies | Quill accounted for roughly $1 billion in sales |
| 8 | Henry Schein Melville, NY 631-843-5500 |
$4,060.3 | $3,353.8 | dental, medical, and veterinary supplies | more than 475,000 customers worldwide |
| 9 | Office Depot Delray Beach, FL 800-937-3600 |
$4,045.5 | $3,965.3 | office supplies | Viking Office Products “underperforming” |
| 10 | United Stationers Des Plaines, IL 847-699-5000 |
$3,991.2 | $3,847.7 | office supplies | launched Office Remedies catalog, Oct. 2004 |
| 11 | VWR International West Chester, PA 610-431-1700 |
$3,005.4 | $2,794.2 | lab supplies | international accounts for 60% of sales |
| 12 | J.C. Penney Co. Plano, TX 972-431-1000 |
$2,793.0 | $2,698.0 | general merchandise | Web sales of $812 million |
| 13 | Patterson Cos. St. Paul, MN 651-686-1600 |
$2,331.5 | $1,879.3 | dental, veterinary, and rehabilitation supplies | acquired Medco Supply Co., May 2004 |
| 14 | Wesco Distribution Pittsburgh 412-454-2200 |
$2,250.0* | $2,000.0* | industrial electrical supplies | net income more than doubled, to $64.9 million |
| 15 | Systemax Port Washington, NY 516-608-7000 |
$1,927.8 | $1,657.8 | computers, industrial supplies | includes sales from 7 outlet stores |
| 16 | Sears, Roebuck & Co. Hoffman Estates, IL 847-286-6297 |
$1,614.0 | $1,752.0 | general merchandise | includes Lands’ End |
| 17 | Redcats USA New York 212-513-9500 |
$1,539.0 | $1,500.0 | apparel, home decor | launched three spin-offs so far this year |
| 18 | Sigma-Aldrich Co. St. Louis 314-771-5765 |
$1,409.20 | $1,298.1 | lab supplies | $272 million in Web sales |
| 19 | Williams-Sonoma San Francisco 415-421-7900 |
$1,135.1 | $966.4 | home decor, kitchenware | introduced Williams-Sonoma Home |
| 20 | PC Mall Torrance, CA 310-354-5600 |
$1,121.7 | $975.6 | computers | spun off eCost.com, May 2005 |
| 21 | Limited Brands Columbus, OH 614-415-7000 |
$1,119.0 | $995.0 | apparel, beauty products | plans to launch Bath & Body Works catalog in 2006 |
| 22 | L.L. Bean Freeport, ME 207-865-4761 |
$1,100.0* | $1,000.0* | outdoor gear, apparel, home decor | record year for customer acquisition |
| 23 | MSC Industrial Direct Co. Melville, NY 516-812-2000 |
$995.8 | $856.5 | industrial supplies | expanding efforts to sell to government |
| 24 | School Specialty Greenville, WI 920-734-5712 |
$988.8 | $880.2 | educational supplies | agreed to be sold to Bain Capital Partners, May 2005 |
| 25 | Cabela’s Sidney, NE 308-254-5505 |
$970.6 | $924.3 | outdoor sporting gear | went public, April 2004 |
| 26 | W.W. Grainger Lake Forest, IL 847-535-1000 |
$948.0 | $784.1 | maintenance, repair, and operating supplies | agreed to acquire AW Direct, Jan. 2005 |
| 27 | Broder Bros. Trevose, PA 215-291-6140 |
$877.4 | $798.6 | imprintable apparel | acquired NES Clothing Co., Aug. 2004 |
| 28 | Johnstone Supply Co. Portland, OR 503-256-3663 |
$800.0* | $705.0 | wholesale heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning supplies | co-op with nearly 300 retail members |
| 29 | Cornerstone Brands West Chester, OH 513-603-1100 |
$720.0 | $650.0* | home decor, apparel | bought by IAC/InterActive Corp., April 2005 |
| 30 | Cintas Corp. Cincinnati 513-459-1200 |
$657.9 | $615.8 | uniforms, sanitation supplies | expanding product line to include fire protection services |
| 31 | Taylor Corp. Mankato, MN 507-625-2828 |
$650.0* | $500.0* | HR supplies; paper; promo products | bought Executive Greetings, April 2004 |
| 32 | Darby Group Cos. Jericho, NY 516-683-1800 |
$625.0* | $625.0* | dental, medical, and veterinary supplies | dental business accounts for bulk of revenue |
| 33 | Premier Farnell Chicago 773-784-5100 |
$607.5 | $560.0* | electronic components, industrial cabling | North American business only |
| 34 | 1-800-Flowers.com Garden City, NY 516-237-6000 |
$584.9 | $556.8 | flowers, gifts, home decor, toys | bought Cheryl & Co., March 2005 |
| 35 | Neiman Marcus Group Dallas 214-741-6911 |
$579.2 | $507.1 | apparel, home decor | agreed to be acquired by Texas Pacific Group and Warburg Pincus, May 2005 |
| 36 | ABC Distributing North Miami, FL 305-944-6900 |
$560.0* | $560.0* | general merchandise | includes LTD Distributing and Lakeside Collection |
| 37 | Digi-Key Corp. Thief River Falls, MN 218-681-6674 |
$530.0-plus* | $400.0 | electronic components | 99.9% of orders shipped same-day |
| 38 | Home Depot Atlanta 770-433-8211 |
$525.0* | 482.2* | building supplies | expanding its b-to-b business |
| 39 | Catalog Holdings Corp. New York 212-916-8331 |
$523.9* | $481.7* | general merchandise | parent company of Newport News and Spiegel Catalog |
| 40 | Black Box Corp. Lawrence, PA 724-746-5500 |
$507.6 | $525.5 | computer networking | acquired $200 million Norstan, Jan. 2005 |
| 41 | Airgas Radnor, PA 610-687-5253 |
$500.0* | $400.0* | industrial/medical gases, welding supplies | acquired 26 companies during fiscal year |
| 42 | Blair Corp. Warren, PA 814-723-3600 |
$496.1 | $581.9 | apparel, home decor | folded Crossing Pointe title |
| 43 | Zones Auburn, WA 253-205-3000 |
$495.6 | $460.8 | computers | cut circulation, added account execs |
| 44 | The Swiss Colony Monroe, WI 603-328-8400 |
$475.0* | $450.0* | food, apparel, home decor, gifts | titles include Ginny’s, Midnight Velvet |
| 45 | Tessco Technologies Hunt Valley, MD 410-229-1000 |
$469.7 | $315.4 | wireless equipment | T-Mobile partnership accounted for more than 40% of revenue |
| 46 | Crosstown Traders Tucson, AZ 520-745-4500 |
$460.0 | $400.0 | women’s apparel, food | bought by Charming Shoppes, May 2005 |
| 47 | Guest Supply Monmouth Junction, NJ 609-514-9696 |
$450.0* | $425.0* | hospitality supplies | owned by food services conglomerate Sysco |
| 48 | Aramark Corp. Philadelphia 215-238-3000 |
$438.4 | $481.5* | uniforms, public-safety equipment | Dept. of Commerce investigation into Galls hurt government sales |
| 49 | Hanover Direct Weehawken, NJ 201-863-7300 |
$425.0* | $414.9 | home decor, apparel | sold Gump’s, March 2005 |
| 49 | Hewlett-Packard Co. Palo Alto, CA 650-857-1501 |
$425.0* | $400.0* | computers | HPshopping.com only |
| 51 | McMaster-Carr Supply Co. Elmhurst, IL 630-600-3600 |
$413.0* | $300.0* | industrial supplies | sells more than 420,000 items |
| 52 | Oriental Trading Co. Omaha 402-331-5511 |
$400.0-plus* | $400.0-plus* | party supplies, crafts, home decor | specialty titles include Sensational Crafts and Inspirations |
| 53 | Bear Creek Corp. Medford, OR 541-776-2121 |
$400.0* | $367.0* | food, plants | bought in LBO led by Wasserstein & Co., June 2004 |
| 54 | HSN U.S. St. Petersburg, FL 717-872-1000 |
$390.0* | $388.2* | general merchandise | HSN.com sales exceeded $300 million |
| 54 | Northern Tool & Equipment Co. Burnsville, MN 952-894-9510 |
$390.0* | $325.0* | tools | estimated total revenue of more than $500 million |
| 56 | Mattel El Segundo, CA 310-252-2000 |
$379.1 | $377.0 | toys | American Girl sales only |
| 57 | Nordstrom Seattle 206-628-2111 |
$375.3 | $292.7 | apparel | phasing out direct response catalogs |
| 58 | Interline Brands Jacksonville, FL 904-421-1400 |
$372.0 | $320.0 | maintenance, repair, operations supplies | total sales of more than $740 million |
| 59 | K+K America Milwaukee 414-443-1700 |
$369.2 | $317.7 | industrial, packaging, retail supplies | includes BrownCor, C&H, and Conney Safety |
| 60 | Sharper Image Corp. San Francisco 415-445-6000 |
$368.0 | $346.0 | high-tech gadgets | record sales nonetheless fell short of expectations |
| 61 | Foot Locker New York 212-720-3700 |
$366.0 | $366.0 | athletic shoes | Web sales of $212 million |
| 62 | Deluxe Corp. Shoreview, MN 651-483-7111 |
$363.2 | — | business stationery and supplies | bought NEBS, June 2004 |
| 63 | PC Connection Merrimack, NH 603-683-2000 |
$352.0 | $302.0 | computers | excludes more than $1 billion in outbound telemarketing and field sales |
| 64 | Brady Corp. Milwaukee 414-358-6600 |
$350.0* | $300.0* | industrial safety and signage products | acquired EMED Co., May 2004 |
| 64 | Eddie Bauer Holdings Redmond, WA 425-755-6100 |
$350.0* | $325.0* | apparel, home goods | emerged from bankruptcy June 2005 |
| 66 | Federated Department Stores Cincinnati 515-579-7000 |
$324.4* | $235.0* | apparel, home decor | includes an estimated $150 million in sales from Macys.com |
| 67 | Guitar Center Westlake Village, CA 813-735-8000 |
$311.3 | $257.9 | musical equipment | updates Musician’s Friend Website every 15 minutes |
| 68 | Starcrest of California Perris, CA 909-943-2011 |
$310.0* | $310.0 | general merchandise | still without a Web presence |
| 69 | Coldwater Creek Sandpoint, ID 208-263-2266 |
$294.1 | $324.2 | women’s apparel | total sales of $590.3 million |
| 70 | Newport Corp. Irvine, CA 949-863-3144 |
$285.8 | $134.8 | precision technology products | acquired Spectra-Physics, July 2004 |
| 71 | American Hotel Register Co. Vernon Hills, IL 847-564-4000 |
$275.0* | $275.0 | hospitality supplies | launched hotel furnishings division, Jan. 2005 |
| 71 | Uline Shipping Supplies Waukegan, IL 847-473-3000 |
$275.0* | $250.0* | packaging supplies | more than 10,000 SKUs |
| 73 | Direct Holdings Worldwide New York 914-872-3500 |
$257.0* | $183.9 | gifts, home decor, books, music | includes Lillian Vernon and Time Life |
| 74 | Omaha Steaks Omaha 402-597-3000 | $250.0* | $226.5* | food | total sales estimated at $360.0 million |
| 75 | The Talbots Hingham, MA 781-749-7600 |
$243.2 | $231.8 | apparel | total revenue of nearly $1.7 billion |
| 76 | The Sportsman’s Guide St. Paul, MN 651-451-3030 |
$232.5 | $194.7 | sporting gear | bought The Golf Warehouse, June 2004 |
| 77 | Thompson Group Tampa, FL 813-884-6344 |
$230.0* | $220.0* | cigars, women’s apparel, decor | launched Cafe Belmondo, a Website selling gourmet coffee |
| 78 | Norm Thompson Outfitters Portland, OR 503-614-4600 |
$225.7 | $215.0 | apparel, decor, gifts | deemphasizing retail |
| 79 | Production Tool Supply Warren, MI 586-755-5258 |
$223.3* | $201.5* | wholesale tools | also creates custom catalogs for its retail clients |
| 80 | NBTY Bohemia, NY 631-567-9500 |
$215.5 | $200.6 | vitamins | parent company of Puritan’s Pride |
| 81 | Collections Etc. Melrose Park, IL 847-350-5800 |
$210.0* | $190.0* | gifts and home decor | testing higher-priced items online |
| 82 | Crutchfield Corp. Charlottesville, VA 434-817-1000 |
$206.0 | $180.0 | consumer electronics | includes revenue from its two stores |
| 83 | Allied Electronics Fort Worth, TX 817-595-3500 |
$205.7 | $167.0 | electronic components | division of U.K.-based Electrocomponents |
| 84 | Dr. Leonard’s Healthcare Corp. Edison, NJ 732-225-0100 |
$205.0* | $220.0* | general merchandise | includes Carol Wright Gifts |
| 85 | Knights Direct Hazelwood, MO 314-521-6178 |
$203.0 | $172.0 | home decor, women’s apparel | expanding into retail |
| 86 | Automotive Specialty Accessories and Parts Co. Chicago 312-431-6000 |
$200.0-plus* | $200.0 | auto and truck parts and accessories | parent company of J.C. Whitney, Stylin’ Concepts |
| 87 | Sara Lee Corp. Chicago 312-726-2600 |
$200.0-plus* | $110.0-plus* | women’s apparel | Sara Lee Direct only |
| 88 | Bass Pro Shops Springfield, MO 417-873-5000 |
$200.0* | $210.0* | outdoor sporting gear | retail expansion continues |
| 89 | Tiffany & Co. New York 212-755-8000 |
$195.5 | $197.4 | jewelry and tabletop | total sales of more than $2.2 billion |
| 90 | Blyth Greenwich, CT 203-661-1926 |
$193.5 | $110.7 | gifts, housewares | integrated Walter Drake operations into those of Miles Kimball |
| 90 | J. Crew Group New York 212-209-2500 |
$193.5 | $173.5 | apparel | total sales of $804.0 million |
| 92 | J. Jill Group Quincy, MA 617-376-4300 |
$191.0 | $200.2 | women’s apparel | total sales of $434.9 million |
| 93 | The Orvis Co. Manchester, VT 802-362-1300 |
$190.0* | $146.0* | outdoor gear, apparel, home decor | colaunched Orvis/Cushman & Wakefield Ranch and Recreational Properties, June 2005 |
| 94 | DBL Distributing Scottsdale, AZ 480-596-8636 |
$189.0* | $140.00 | wholesale consumer electronics | ships approximately 2,500 packages a day |
| 95 | Doctors Foster & Smith Rhinelander, WI 715-369-3305 |
$186.0 | $170.00 | pet supplies | aggressive pay-per-click marketing program |
| 95 | SanMar Corp. Preston, WA 206-727-3200 |
$186.0* | $156.0* | imprintable apparel | more than 1.65 million sq. ft. in warehouse space |
| 95 | Tool Crib Seattle 206-266-1000 |
$186.0* | $103.0* | tools | owned by Amazon.com |
| 98 | Alloy New York 212-244-4307 |
$184.3 | $185.0 | apparel, extreme-sports gear | plans to spin off catalog/retail division later this year |
| 99 | Fingerhut Direct Marketing Minnetonka, MN 952-932-3100 |
$177.7* | $140.0* | general merchandise | received $62.5 million in equity financing, March 2004 |
| 100 | Aristotle Corp. Stamford, CT 203-358-8000 |
$175.1 | $163.2 | educational and agricultural supplies | bought CPR Prompt, Aug. 2004 |