Anticipating greater sales: venturing beyond its formal tableware and jewelry roots, Ross-Simons explores novel pieces in its latest home decor catalog - Ross-Simmons Jewelers, tableware catalog; HomeMarket Trends Supplement

Discount Store News, Nov 5, 1990 by Mary Ellen Kelly

Anticipating Greater Sales

Tableware has been serving up big profits for Ross-Simons. Second helpings are hopefully on the way, with the help of this mail order firm's just-released catalog.

Ross-Simons Jewelers, already doing big business in tableware through its primary catalog has launched a new home decor catalog called Anticipations which will spotlight slightly offbeat or unusual tableware.

Its primary catalog, Ross-Simons, is geared toward the bridal registry market, and merchandises traditional tableware such as Oneida flatware, Lenox stemware, and Wedgewood dinnerware.

Based in Cranston, R.I., this national mail order firm has enjoyed 25% sales growth each year since its president, Darrell Ross, spearheaded the mail order business in 1981, according to Peter Howard, vp, marketing. Until then, company sales were generated through its three Rhode Island retail stores. Sales for 1990 are estimated to be about $90 million.

Along with a broad range of giftware, the Anticipations catalog offers consumers "tableware that is more unique" than the traditional selections offered in the original Ross-Simons catalog, said Howard. Tableware designed for serving holiday meals and those with a particular theme such as Chinese and Southwestern are among the initial assortment.

This is a test for the new catalog, but if sales are good, Anticipations will become a biannual release.

Ross-Simons is also experimenting with a second new catalog called Exclusively Jewelry. As with Anticipations, this catalog will pursue opportunities within the category not currently being tapped by the primary Ross-Simons catalog.

"We're a total chameleon as it regards our customers," added Howard, "we try to keep ourselves flexible enough to meet consumer needs."

The original Ross-Simons catalog is roughly split between jewelry and tableware and is mailed eight times each year. In 1990 alone, they will have mailed over 20 million catalogs nationwide, winning 750,000 customers.

Sales by region parallel general retail trends with the exception of California. "California tends to be home to more mail order buyers in general," Howard noted. As would be expected, the higher-ticket merchandise often sells better in more affluent markets.

In addition to mail order sales - which represent about 80% of its total sales volume - Ross-Simons also operates units in Providence, Warwick and Barrington, R.I. The stores offer most of what is in the catalogs within a 5,000 square foot format. They have no plans to expand their retail operations in the near future. They will focus instead on their booming mail order market.

In order to access that market they are considering the possibility of bringing a celebrity spokesman on-board. "Many celebrities and dignitaries are among our customers and it would make sense to open up discussions with one of them as we beef-up our public relations," he explained.

Public relations is key also to their direct mail business. The people hired to take customer orders must go through a week-long training program to become "Personal Shoppers." And, generally speaking, these personal shoppers reflect the same demographics of those placing the orders.

"We try to hire people that match the profile of our customers, generally female, in her 40s or 50s; women who are likely to be giving bridal gifts like dinnerware, flatware and stemware. Our inbound telephone operators are trained to know the difference between a goblet vs. a fluted champagne glass vs. a wine glass."

The bridal business has blossomed as customers become familiar with Ross-Simons' computerized bridal registry. The registry allows relatives and friends across the country to select, order and mail their wedding gifts without leaving their homes. The Ross-Simons Personal Shopper can tell the caller which patterns were registered and what items or how many place settings have already been purchased for the newlyweds. "We pretty much have the Providence and Boston bridal markets wrapped-up," Howard said.

Dinnerware patterns sold include the Royal Worcester-Spode "Eversham" pattern priced at $36 per setting. The catalog also lists the suggested retail price of $65. Lenox "Allegro" stemware is priced at $16.75 per stem, compared with list prices of $27 per stem. A 44-piece Kirk Stieff sterling silver service set is priced at $2,299, compared with a suggested retail of $3,901.

The firm stresses customer service and offers shoppers a "no questions asked" 30-day guarantee on all purchases.

PHOTO : Strong sales of tableware like Franciscan's `Desert Rose' sold in Ross-Simons suggested that a separate catalog for non-traditional serveware might be warranted.

PHOTO : Ross Simons' mail order catalog offers consumers traditional patterns while Anticipations tests the appeal of offbeat as well as unusual tableware.