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Smaller Files Gain Ground in ParadyszMatera List Growth Report

A few small list files garnered big percentage increases to top the gifts and collectibles and apparel categories for the fourth quarter of 2004, according to ParadyszMatera's list universe ranking.

List brokerage ParadyszMatera maintains a database of 12-month list universe counts on 76,000 properties through its research division. The firm ranks the top catalogs by percentage and volume increases quarterly in the home, apparel and gifts/collectibles categories. It does top-five rankings in other categories such as general merchandise. ParadyszMatera, New York, generates its MarketTrends consumer catalog reports quarterly through its proprietary MarketRelevance direct mail promotion-tracking tool.

In the gifts and collectibles category, M&Ms World catalog featuring candy and other M&M-related paraphernalia took top honors with a 253.6 percent increase, boosting the file from 7,994 names in Q4 2003 to 28,270 in Q4 2004. The list went on the market in January 2003.

Some of the growth resulted from a strong 2004 mailing season, said Deana Burrett, director of list management at Estee Marketing Group Inc., New Rochelle, NY, which manages the file.

“They also added in their personalized M&M buyers from their Web site,” she said. “You can choose messages like 'Happy birthday,' 'It's a boy,' 'It's a girl' or others.”

Though Web buyers always were included on the file, the custom orders were not, she said. The file is 80 percent direct mail and 20 percent Internet. Buyers on the M&M file are 71 percent female with an average age of 45 and average order of $64.

The largest volume increase in gifts and collectibles belonged to Collections Etc., climbing by 302,855 names from 1,628,153 to 1,931,008 names.

Boden and Mini Boden USA topped the apparel category with a 162.7 percent increase from 24,384 names in Q4 2003 to 64,068 in Q4 2004. The file went on the list market in August 2003. Though Boden has been a popular clothing catalog in the United Kingdom since 1991, it launched in the United States in 2003, said Amy Fusco, senior vice president and director of list management at Mokrynskidirect, Hackensack, NJ. Mokrynskidirect manages its U.S. buyer file. The catalog offers classic apparel for women, men and children.

“Boden and Mini Boden had a growth strategy, and they definitely have been increasing their circulation and prospecting,” Fusco said.

Another reason for the growth is that the catalog is new and fresh to U.S. consumers, she said.

“Their creative from the copy perspective is awesome,” Fusco said.

Buyers on the Boden and Mini Boden USA file are 95 percent female with an average age range of 35-44 and average order of $140.

The Victoria's Secret catalog had the largest volume growth in apparel, rising 450,000 names from 4,060,600 to 4,510,600.

In the home category, the largest percentage increase was Grandin Road, and the largest volume increase went to Pottery Barn. Both were No. 1 in their respective categories for the second quarter in a row. Grandin Road was up 494.2 percent from 25,016 to 148,651, and Pottery Barn was up more than 446,300 names from 1,102,401 to 1,548,743.

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

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