The Sharper Image

Catalogers’ Updates CDW Corp.: The multichannel computer marketer in May was sold to private equity firm Madison Dearborn Partners for $7.3 billion. Upon completion of the deal, CDW shareholders will receive $87.75 in cash for each share of common stock. McFeely’s Square Drive Screws: W.W. Grainger’s Lab Safety Supply subsidiary in early June said it had acquired all of the assets of McFeely’s Square Drive Screws, a B-to-B cataloger of specialty fasteners, hardware and tools for the professional woodworking industry. McFeely’s will be marketed as an independent brand by Lab Safety. Casual Male: LivingXL is the name of a new catalog launched in May by Casual

Catalogers’ Updates Metrostyle: This unit of New York-based Redcats USA, is emblazoning the cycle two winner of “America’s Next Top Model” TV show, Yoanna House, on the cover of its spring catalog in an attempt to showcase the catalog as a women’s apparel fashion authority. Selecting the contest winner comes after Redcats changed the name of this value-priced book from Lerner. Harry & David Holdings: In April, this multichannel marketer agreed to sell its Jackson & Perkins catalog/ wholesale plants and gardening tools business to an investment group led by Donald and Glenda Hachenberger for $49 million. In a separate deal, Harry & David also agreed to

As traditional catalog prospecting for new customers gets more and more challenging, consider two proven media channels that have been steady workhorses for other types of marketers for more than 50 years: television, and radio. Direct Response Television (DRTV): If a typical catalog has 150 to 200 products, there usually are one or two hit products that are worthy of elevated promotional efforts. Perhaps the most famous example is Sharper Image’s Ionic Breeze® Air Purifier. This product started in the catalog with strong sales, but sales exploded after the product was promoted via an infomercial. Not only has the airing of the infomercial helped product sales,

The concept of home automation may call to mind futuristic visions of robotic butlers and a retinal scanner for your home security system. But for Smarthome Direct, real-life home automation products have helped create a multibillion dollar business that’s seen its 12-month housefile double over the past four years. And Smarthome has done so by leveraging its unique and growing line of electronic home automation products against the home improvement craze that’s engulfed the nation in the past few years, says Rajeev Kapur, president of the Irvine, Calif.-based cataloger. Kapur notes that the company has sought to capitalize on the popularity of the ABC-TV

By Matt Griffin Exclusive product availability, proprietary technology and an energetic response to customer feedback provide Smarthome Direct with the keys to successful growth. The concept of home automation may call to mind futuristic visions of robotic butlers and a retinal scanner for your home security system. But for Smarthome Direct, real-life home automation products have helped create a multibillion dollar business that's seen its 12-month housefile double over the past four years. And Smarthome has done so by leveraging its unique and growing line of electronic home automation products against the home improvement craze that's engulfed the nation in the past few years,

I'm writing this, my first column for Catalog Success, on a train from New York to Philadelphia, a day before formally joining the magazine. Although I'll focus my future Editor's Takes solely on the catalog business, please bear with me this go-round as I reintroduce myself to you all. I started covering the catalog business as a journalist back in 1986. Over the years, I reported on various goings-on in the field, such as the mainstream use of 800 numbers, credit cards, and express delivery; the advent of co-op databases; the rise of Williams-Sonoma, CDW and The Sharper Image; the stunning collapse of

In many ways, direct response television (DRTV) and cataloging are at opposite ends of the direct marketing spectrum. DRTV promotions — be they infomercials, spot commercials or home shopping — focus on selling to an unknown prospect or customer. Meanwhile, with only a few exceptions, catalogers target their promotions to specific prospects, customer lists or audiences. Yet both have to deal with all the challenges of today’s direct response marketing. For example, they must present products in compelling ways that make the sale, despite ever-increasing competition from other direct marketers, retailers and e-merchants. Also, they must address customers’ privacy and data security concerns,

It should have such incredible perceived value that your visitors want to bookmark it By Denny Hatch When I travel, I like to bring my laptop so I can check e-mail and read English-language newspapers online. To do that, of course, I need the right phone jack for the country I'm visiting. Recently I went to Spain. Before I left, I visited the Web site for the Magellan's catalog, clicked on "Info Center," scrolled down the country guides list to Spain and found that Spanish telephones are accessible with the RJ-11 adapter used in the United States. Terrific! No order needed from

How he got started in cataloging: “I spent my career at Fortune 500 companies and met Cheryl in 2002,” he says. “I have a friend who knew someone at Cheryl&Co. and had heard that Cheryl wanted to enhance the growth potential of her company and was looking for outside skills to help.” Kelly asked another friend if he knew anything about Cheryl&Co. It turned out his friend had just returned from a two-week vacation with Cheryl and her family. “He faxed my resume to Cheryl that afternoon. When you come across situations where there are so many coincidences, you realize some things were

In last month’s column, I recounted my holiday-shopping experiences with The Sharper Image, Amazon and Barnes & Noble.com. This month I offer more catalog-shopping tales in case they’re helpful or instructive to other catalogers. I requested a copy of the Wisconsin Cheeseman catalog, because a recent vacation in Wisconsin convinced me of that state’s supremacy in cheese-making. The catalog, which arrived about a week after I requested it online, offers various cheeses, meats, sweets and other delectables. It’s a terrific marriage of photography and copy. And the color quality and merchandise selection is exceptional. So with the catalog, a credit card