Williams-Sonoma Sells Gardeners Eden
Williams-Sonoma Inc., San Francisco, entered into an agreement yesterday to sell its Gardeners Eden catalog business to Brookstone Inc.The specialty retailer decided to sell Gardeners Eden, a catalog that focuses on outdoor decorations and garden accessories, to allow greater focus on the existing Williams-Sonoma Inc. brands and the Internet. The company believes Williams-Sonoma, Pottery Barn and the recently launched Pottery Barn Kids have excellent growth potential. Acquired in 1983, Gardeners Eden complemented the retailer's four home-centered businesses: Williams-Sonoma, Pottery Barn, Hold Everything and Chambers.
Williams-Sonoma Inc. has increased annual revenues for Gardeners Eden from $380,000 to more than $22 million. The annual circulation of the catalog has reached more than 10 million.
