Laneve Details Bloomie's Catalog Plan

By Carole Sloan -- Home Textiles Today, 5/19/2008 12:00:00 AM

New York —

Although Bloomingdale's will discontinue its Bloomingdale's by Mail catalog early next year in favor of its bloomingdales.com internet efforts, it will continue with "bHome" in home furnishings, "HOT" in apparel, and an array of other store traffic-driver catalogs.

bHome, which launched last year, is designed to increase in-store footfalls by showcasing fashion-forward merchandise for specific seasons, explained Joe Laneve, senior vp, gmm for home. Typically, bHome identifies a group of trends common to the home business and similar, but not necessarily parallel to, the apparel world. Merchandise is highlighted from home textiles to furniture and housewares in these themes, as well as other significant product launches.

Distribution is "to our best charge customers," Laneve told HTT.

In home, Bloomie's also will continue its monthly catalogs across the 40-unit department store chain, he noted. Bloomingdale's marketing division internally produces bHome, HOT and the monthly catalogs.

"Bloomingdale's is focused on growing its online business, increasing profitability and reflecting a seamless brand and merchandise selection, whether it be in-store or online," said Bloomie's chairman and ceo Michael Gould.

Bloomie's parent Macy's Inc. projects that its overall direct-to-consumer business will surpass $1 billion this year.