Christmas, Hanukkah Out; Holiday In

By Carole Sloan -- Home Textiles Today, 11/29/2004 12:00:00 AM

New York — —

New York — For holiday 2004, catalog retailers moved away from religious-specific merchandise to more general holiday themes, especially in home textiles.

Holiday 2004 features the traditional red and green as the major color palette. Design themes range from the obvious Santas and Christmas trees to more subtle snowflakes, berries and twigs and poinsettias.

In product, flannel bedding, decorative pillows and table linens are the season's favorites for catalogs. And with expanded color lines and design themes, the home textiles products have a longer potential shelf life.

And at the upper end of the catalog retailing world, home textiles were definitely in the minority of merchandise featured. Neiman Marcus, in its famed holiday catalog, had no home textiles products, and Bloomingdale's featured only one item: a collection of luxury throws from Churchill Weavers.