Shelburne, VT—Bouyed by the success of its new SendAmerica Website, Vermont Teddy Bear Co. (VTBC) is preparing to launch a SendAmerica print catalog in time for the holiday season.
SendAmerica sells 250 handcrafted U.S.-made items ranging from jewelry to gourmet foods. Within the next four months, SendAmerica plans to double the number of SKUs it offers. The site, a fully owned subsidiary of VTBC, was designed inhouse and went live in November. Each SendAmerica item comes with a personalized gift card and information about the product and the artisan. Offering a wider selection of products than VTBC, which specializes in special-occasion stuffed bears, this new site “will appeal to a wider group of shoppers,” says director Tom Clark.
The site’s initial visitor conversion rate of 1.5%-2% was in line with expectations, Clark says. The average order is about $49. The site is encouraging visitors to register to become a “SendAmerican”—a member of the customer loyalty club. Members are entitled to product discounts, and visitors who register will automatically be entered into a monthly sweepstakes drawing for a $150 shopping spree.