Merchandise: Bathrobes Remain a Classic

“Robes are one of the most popular gifts for older people and college kids because they spend so much time in them,” says Joan Burden Litle, president of the Catalog Connection, a creative merchandising consulting firm in Lowell, MA. “They can curl up in bed in a great big, thick robe that can take the wear and tear. And a robe is comforting, sort of like your teddy bear.”