The Company Store isn't revealing much about its spinoff catalog, At Home with The Company Store — only that it will feature mainly furniture and home accessories.
Paul Kulavis, vice president of marketing at The Company Store, said the 72-page catalog made its debut approximately three weeks ago. Company officials are keeping a tight lid on their expectations of the catalog's value with current and potential customers.
Since The Company Store is experimenting with different response curves to see what works best in attracting buyers, the company is limited in what information it can reveal, Kulavis said. He would not disclose the number of catalogs that were printed, except to say that more than 100,000 pieces were mailed. He also would not reveal the average order size.
“We would expect with the catalog — and a catalog that has more expensive items — the response curve would be a little bit slower,” he said.
The catalog offers a variety of mid-range to high-end items, including sofas, armchairs, television cabinets and side tables. It also features decorative accessories such as rugs, towels and sheets. Prices range from $29 to more than $1,000.
Catalogs were sent to existing customers of The Company Store, and names were pulled from other Hanover Direct titles. The Company Store, La Crosse, WI, is a division of Hanover Brands Inc. and features mainly towels, bathroom accessories, linens and down comforters.
The company looked at customers who have bought similar products in the past and used list rentals to get additional names, Kulavis said. The catalog's demographics are geared toward women, 40 and older, with an annual family income of $100,000 or more.
The Company Store began placing a few furniture products in its catalog about a decade ago to test how well they would be received. The move was met with a solid response from customers, Kulavis said. There has been a demand for additional furniture in recent years.
“What had happened was the company [had] used pieces of furniture as props but was getting inquirers about the furniture,” he said. “People were constantly calling, asking where they can they get the furniture. It started out with occasional furniture, side tables and accessories, then expanded into chairs and tables.
“This is a natural outgrowth of that in the sense of looking at what our customers seem to be interested in and want from us. We were also looking to expand the line dramatically from what we had previously.”
