An eclectic and distinctive product mix along with the addition of Web buyers to its list lifted the Anthropologie catalog file to the top spot among apparel mailers by percentage growth in the third quarter, according to list brokerage ParadyszMatera's latest list universe report.
The Anthropologie catalog file grew 111.8 percent for Q3 2005 to 166,203 last-12-month names compared with 78,485 last-12-month names in Q3 2004.
“It's two things, honestly,” said Amy Fusco, senior vice president and director of list management at Mokrynskidirect, Hackensack, NJ, which manages the file. “They really are having a great year and doing very well, but the other part of that also has to do with the fact that they had never had their Internet buyers on their file.”
Previously, the Internet buyers were offered as a separate file.
Though increased prospecting has been a big part of Anthropologie's growth, Fusco said, what's in the catalog is just as important.
“I think it has a lot to do with their circulation and their merchandise,” she said. “The growth definitely has to do with the unique product line. You don't see their products everywhere, and we don't see anybody growing at the rate they are in terms of upscale apparel.”
The Anthropologie list is 81 percent female with an average age of 34, average household income of $76,000 and an average order of $190.
In the home category, Horchow Home was No. 1 based on percentage growth with an increase of 90.7 percent from 22,300 last-12-month buyers in Q3 2004 to 42,515 last-12-month buyers in Q3 of this year. The Horchow Home file is 80 percent female with an average household income of $125,000 and an average order of $140. The file is managed by American List Counsel, Princeton, NJ.
The Music Stand catalog retained the top spot in the gifts/collectibles category, up 306.4 percent to 91,224 last-12-month names in Q3 of this year versus 22,448 last-12-month names in Q3 2004. Music Stand buyers are 80 percent female with an age range of 35-60, an income range of $35,000-$50,000 and an average unit of sale of $55. Direct Media Inc., Greenwich, CT, manages the list.
In terms of volume growth, other titles ranked highest in each category.
L.L. Bean kept the No. 1 rank in apparel, growing by 564,588 names from 3.84 million last-12-month names in Q3 2004 to 4.41 million in Q3 2005. In the home category, Ballard Designs was the biggest climber by volume, rising 129,438 names from 317,321 last-12-month names in Q3 2004 to 446,759 in Q3 2005.
Once again, Collections Etc. had the largest volume increase for its segment, gaining 384,726 names from 1.75 million gifts/collectibles buyers in Q3 2004 to 2.13 million in Q3 2005.
The largest last-12-month files overall in Q3 2005 by category were Victoria's Secret in apparel with 4.77 million, Pottery Barn in home with 1.6 million and Collections Etc. in gifts/collectibles with 2.13 million.
ParadyszMatera, New York, maintains a database of 12-month list universe counts on 76,000 properties through its research division. The company ranks the top catalogs by percentage and volume increases quarterly in the home, apparel and gifts/collectibles categories. It generates top-five rankings in other categories such as general merchandise. ParadyszMatera produces its MarketTrends consumer catalog reports quarterly through its proprietary MarketRelevance direct mail promotion-tracking tool.
Kristen Bremner covers list news, insert media, privacy and fundraising for DM News and DMNews.com. To keep up with the latest developments in these areas, subscribe to our daily and weekly e-mail newsletters by visiting www.dmnews.com/newsletters
