The Sharper Image

ThreeSixty Group, which recently bought FAO Schwarz, has made another big-name purchase, this time acquiring gadget retailer Sharper Image for $100 million. Sharper Image was owned by Iconix Brand Group. Sharper Image closed its U.S. stores in 2008 after the company filed for bankruptcy protection, and has operated as an online retailer and by selling Sharper Image-branded…

In an effort to make it simpler for consumers to simultaneously browse its print catalog and research and buy from their mobile devices, Sharper Image embedded a “Buy  Now” capability into its holiday preview catalog. The catalog is chock-full of electronic, recreation, fitness and travel products, and was sent to 4 million households and businesses on Nov. 4.

Facebook is rumored to be testing a Want button that would be similar in look and function to its now ubiquitous Like button. The feature was spotted by developer Tom Waddington, who published the button's code on his blog. Such buttons already exist -- but they have been developed by third-party brands to serve retailers eager to maximize exposure on Facebook's Timeline. One example is a button developed by a company called "Want." It counts among its users The Sharper Image, Ron Jon, and DNA Footwear.

Iconix Brand Group has signed a definitive agreement to acquire The Sharper Image brand and intellectual property assets from Sharper Image for about $65.6 million in cash. This acquisition will mark Iconix Brand's first entry into the rising consumer electronics sector.

_ NEW YORK and DALLAS, Oct. 6, 2011 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Sharper Image and Tandy Brands Accessories, Inc. announced today that they have entered into a multi-year license agreement to manufacture and market products in the travel accessory and connectivity categories. Both organizations expect to see an incremental impact in their business in calendar year 2012, particularly during the 2012 holiday season. "We are quite pleased to have a new licensee partner in Tandy Brands Accessories," said Sharper Image Senior Vice President Federico de Bellegarde. "Tandy Brands has the product development capabilities and strong retail relationships necessary for

Tired of reading about what a tough year it’s been for so many businesses across the board? Frustrated with your own results? Scared about the economy? Whether or not you’re struggling as much as others, here’s a little tonic: our annual best-of feature, in which we’ve pulled what we believe to be the 50 best and most implementable tips of the year from Catalog Success magazine as well as our weekly e-newsletter, Tactics & Tips. There’s nothing fancy here. Each paragraph is taken from a particular story that’s referenced, so you can turn or click back to reread the full story or act on

Many retailers are finding catalogs to be an important adjunct to their retail businesses. They realize that once they’ve obtained customers, the catalog mailing is an effective way to bind those customers to their brands and expand awareness of their products. In the first of a two-part series targeted at multichannel merchants who have significant retail businesses, below are five of the 10 key principles to augment your retail/multichannel program with catalogs and the Web. 1. Exploit the phenomenon of multichannel lift. Mailing a catalog delivers sales in its own right while increasing the value of customers who originate in the store or on

A few years ago at the catalog conference, I got to listen to that year’s keynoter, Richard Thalheimer from The Sharper Image, discuss how he started out. Like so many other entrepreneurs in our industry, he started with one product advertised in a magazine. From there, he built his business.
I loved listening to his classic fairy-tale beginning. He started out with a great product that was unusual in nature and not readily available anywhere else.
Fast forward a few years and The Sharper Image team developed the Ionic Breeze air purifier. The Sharper Image managers found they had a winning product

The virtually simultaneous bankruptcies of The Sharper Image and Lillian Vernon shouldn’t have surprised anyone. The rules of the game have changed. It started with merchandising. Once the merchandise in these catalogs went stale, both companies entered a dangerous spiral, losing demand per book while driving up marketing costs as a percent of sales. Once demand started to decline, the only lever left was price and reduced marketing costs, both of which lowered gross margins. Starving Margins Gross margins are more important this year than in the past because the Internet has flattened competition among retailers, making the marketplace more efficient every

The virtually simultaenous bankruptcies of The Sharper Image and Lillian Vernon shouldn’t have surprised anyone. The rules of the game have changed. It started with merchandising. Once the merchandise in these catalogs went stale, both companies entered a dangerous spiral, losing demand per book while driving up marketing cost as a percent of sales. Once demand started to decline, the only lever left was price and reduced marketing costs, both of which lowered gross margins. Starving Margins Gross margins are more important this year than in the past because the Internet has flattened competition among retailers, making the marketplace more efficient every