Soft Surroundings

Women’s apparel retailer Soft Surroundings last week filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy and announced plans to close all 44 of its stores. The company’s remaining assets have been acquired by Coldwater Creek under the ownership of Newtimes Group, which plans to continue to sell Soft Surroundings' apparel and accessories online and via catalogs. Soft Surroundings has secured $18 million…

In addition to the insights provided in print, here are a few more observations, tips and thoughts from a sampling of catalogers on everything from how environmental concerns have affected mailing practices to e-mail marketing strategies to what effect rising gas prices will have on the direct marketing industry and more. * On B-to-B and the environment, “I don’t think you’re going to find that in the B-to-B market,” says Peg Goelz, marketing communications manager for Shiffler, in response to whether environmental backlash has had any effect on Shiffler’s catalog prospecting. “I don’t think it’s as sensitive there as it is in the

While deterrents to mailing catalogs continue to mount (rising postage and paper costs, threats of do-not-mail legislation, environmental backlash, the Web’s rising popularity, etc.), the benefits of this marketing medium seem to have gotten lost in the shuffle. So it’s fair to ask the question: Are catalogs worth it anymore? We randomly surveyed a cross-section of multichannel merchants and found the following facts illustrating the catalog medium’s continued importance in most marketing budgets. • Shiffler, a B-to-B cataloger of school and facility furniture, supplies and equipment, this year launched its second catalog title, Facility Hardware. More than 90 percent of its revenue comes

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