Profile: All in the Family

HOW HE HANDLES THAT CHALLENGE: “We’ve always put a product or two in the catalog to test a new category,” Flax says. “Otherwise, you become predictable. You need to break out of the mold and test the waters.”

KEYS TO SUCCESS: “It’s critical to remain receptive to everyone,” says Flax, regarding merchandise assortment as well as customer attention. “We genuinely try to be different. The mailbox is a crowded place, and we like to think that things like the contest on our catalog cover help set us apart … [as well as] build loyalty.” (The cataloger annually runs a design contest in which the winner receives a featured cover on a print-run of the catalog as well as a gift certificate for $1,000 of FLAX art & design merchandise.)