Calico Corners, Waverly debut catalog

By Carole Sloan -- Home Textiles Today, 1/1/2001 12:00:00 AM

KENNETT SQUARE, PA -Using 350 specially selected skus of decorative fabrics, Calico Corners launched its first catalog dedicated to a single supplier-Waverly.

The specialty retail chain has previously highlighted specific designer decorative fabric collections within its regular catalog including Martha Stewart and Ralph Lauren Home, as well as a specific furniture design collection, Mitchell Gold. It also has sponsored guest designers within its catalog pages to offer decorating ideas.

The alliance between Calico Corners and Waverly "was a natural one," explained Bert Kerstetter, president. The fabrics are offered through the retailer's cut-order program and not all of the 350 skus are shown in the catalog. Each of the skus are identified in the stores as being part of the collection.

"Destination Waverly" is the title of the 20-page catalog that features color swatches and eight spreads of full rooms-from bedrooms to dining rooms-along with manufactured product such as window coverings, bedding, decorative pillows and table linens shipped from the Calico Corners warehouse.

As with its other catalogs, Calico Corners has an extensive sampling service, from 6 by 6 squares to its "borrow-a-yard" program.

Calico Corners mailed more than 800,000 copies of the catalog to selected company customers culled from its database, as well as customer lists provided by Waverly. These were customers who previously had purchased Waverly fabrics. The circulation list was smaller than a typical catalog, because it was the first time for an event of this type.

Similarly, only 93 of the firm's 110 retail stores across the country were involved. Those not participating are franchise stores.

The promotion, which extends through the end of this month, has pulled a good response comparable to other catalogs.

"The Calico Corners/Waverly catalog is an extension of the close relationship between our companies that goes back over 20 years," Christiane Michaels, Waverly's president, noted.