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

The namesake business Lillian Vernon launched in 1951 on the kitchen table of her small, Mount Vernon, NY, apartment has grown to a more than $240 million catalog and online retail enterprise. A lot has changed in 50 years, but what hasn’t changed is the focus on merchandise.

It all started with a $495 ad in Seventeen magazine selling belts and handbags that could be personalized for free with the customer’s initials. That ad brought in $32,000 and launched her business.