Lillian Vernon’s mail order business has grown from a black-and-white space ad to nine catalogs

By Alicia Orr , Editor In Chief and Catalog Success

With a wide array of products, ranging from fashion accessories, toys and home decor products to seasonal items, Lillian Vernon has no direct head-to-head competitor, but competes with everyone from Hold Everything to Pottery Barn to Oriental Trading to Potpourri, notes Green.

“We introduce a lot of new products—3,000 a year,” says Green, explaining that 50 percent of the product line is new each year. In looking for new products to add, Green cites three main criteria: