But read these six lessons first.

By Alicia Orr Suman

Therein lies the first step toward finding a new product category:

1. Follow your hunches, which usually come from one of two places, says Phil Minix, senior vice president of catalog and tours marketing at Reiman Publishing, Greendale, Wis., which produces the Country Store catalog. “First, you have your core offerings — and then you have this hunch about a fringe offering that’s shown a lot of life.