By combining the online channels of Wireless, Seasons and Signals catalogs, Target Corp. serves up a streamlined shopping experience

By Allison Eckel

The Core Brands

As mentioned, the brands comprising GiftCatalog.com include Wireless, Signals and Seasons. The three catalogs were launched by Rivertown Trading Co., a direct marketing start-up that later joined with Target. But that’s getting ahead of ourselves. Let’s start in 1982.

“The Prairie Home Companion” by Garrison Keilor was the most successful radio show produced by Minnesota Public Radio (MPR). Officials at the non-profit member station of National Public Radio decided to sell a T-shirt based on the show and broadcast a phone number to order it. The shirt sold out quickly and gave the station a new mailing list to which to target mail order offers.