Coldwater Creek Guarantees Gifts to Go

While most catalogs mail special holiday editions, Coldwater Creek seems to have found a winning formula to encourage Christmas sales with its “gifts to go!” mini-book. As in past seasons, the 7” square book was timed to arrive in early December. Two highly desirable incentives -- “Guaranteed Christmas Delivery” and “Free Shipping & Gift Boxing” -- are stated on its seasonal cover, which features a crayon-drawn Santa Claus leaping over a Christmas tree made of colorful polka dots. The guarantee applies to orders made by midnight on December 22, on items in stock, and the free shipping applies to orders made by midnight, December 19. Merchandise is mostly apparel, with a small amount of accessories and fewer home items. Holiday items include a zippered cardigan in ramie/cotton with polar bear and snowflake appliqués and embroidery ($69), a rayon/nylon crushed velvet jacket with a wide embroidered tapestry border ($79), and a whimsical reindeer pin with silver and gold plating ($25). Additional merchandise includes a zippered fleece anorak ($59), a tailored leather jacket ($159) and rubber-soled fleece slippers ($49/pair).

Vermont Teddy Bear Company Launches Gift Bag Boutique

In time for the holidays, the Vermont Teddy Bear Company introduced a new spin-off catalog entitled Gift Bag Boutique. The 48-page Holiday 2005 launch effort is filled with “over 100 styles of bags, including trendy purses, fun clutches, baby bags and more.” Pricing varies greatly, with bags offered for as little as $29.95 (the Red Shimmer Buckle Bag) to as much as $334.95 (Nora Brocade Frame Bag by Cynthia Rowley). Complementing the wide selection of handbags is a collection of accessories such as coin purses, cell phone pouches, manicure sets, eyeglass cases and keychains. A lip conditioner premium is given as an incentive with any order, delivered along with a gift card in a unique purse-shaped shipping box.

Frontgate Offers "Holidays by Design"

Home cataloger Frontgate enlisted the help of leading design professionals to offer holiday decorating tips and create an assortment of upscale Christmas trees, wreaths, ornaments and festive outdoor statues and lights. The Holidays by Design book begins with an introductory note from founder and president Paul Tarvin who welcomes shoppers, writing: “A well-designed Holiday is a wonderful thing to share.” Alongside the note, a flap on the inside cover can be lifted to reveal a photograph of one of the book's signature items -- an oversized 9-1/2’ Noble Fir with lights ($875) decorated with an exclusive Jim Marvin trim kit ($995). According to a two-page spread devoted to him, Marvin is a leader in defining holiday decor trends, having worked for The White House for several seasons including this year. His 2005 signature 140-piece trim kit in chocolate brown, aqua, copper and gold features 24 sprays, 110 ornaments and six garlands. Other professionals lending their advice and designs include Martha Sophia, who creates handmade floral pieces, and ornament designer and QVC regular Christopher Radko. Items range from traditional (hand-carved nativity - $447) to modern (25” fiber-optic polar bear - $445). Frontgate has just about everything shoppers can think of for all their decorating needs including canvas storage carts and bags. As always, each product carries the Frontgate Quality Commitment, which offers a full refund for 90 days and a product protection guarantee for one year.

The direct mail promotions appearing in Mail Stream are tracked and analyzed by ParadyszMatera, a media brokerage services company, through its MarketRelevance(tm) Promotion Library. Click here to visit their site: ParadyszMatera.com.