AS MAKEOVERS GO, IT'S NOT especially extreme, but The Home Depot is finally offering its decor-oriented products by mail. This has meant moving from foundation to furnishings, said Shelley Nandkeolyar, president of HD Direct Brands, the retailer's direct marketing arm.
The chain, which is more known for its do-it-yourself items than accoutrements, produced its first catalog in 2003. First it sent a “Slim Jim” piece and a standard-size book, but these were seen as traffic-building vehicles, not ordering devices, Nandkeolyar said.
The reason was that the merchandise mix just didn't lend itself to mail order. And with 2,000 stores in North America, moreover, a large segment of its customer base lived within driving distance of a Home Depot outlet and didn't need the delays associated with mail.
But the retailer quickly changed course. It shifted the catalogs' mission to “extending the aisle,” or featuring merchandise downplayed in its stores.
As Nandkeolyar put it, the company moved from foundation to furnishings.
Home Depot has since launched 10 Crescent Lane and Paces Trading Co., two books that play up the softer side of the company. Rather than feature hammers and roofing compound, these offer outdoor lighting, patio furniture and home decorations, products unique to the company's direct response business.
This has enabled Home Depot to greatly expand its reach among several under-represented segments, including more affluent consumers and women.
It also has found that known catalog shoppers (especially for brands like Williams-Sonoma, Ethan Allen and Crate and Barrel) are especially responsive prospects. This is a demographic not often found in its stores.
Meanwhile, the 10 Crescent Lane brand has been extended through all contact points. Orders are shipped in a box-within-a-box package, and the order detail form has been incorporated into an elegant thank-you note. Call center operators are required to announce, “It's a great day at 10 Crescent Lane today.”
As for the name itself, “We wanted an ‘Anyplace, America’ name,” one that encapsulated “upscaleness and gentrification,” Nandkeolyar said. (This almost backfired when a customer called and asked, “I live on 10 Crescent Lane. Would you like to redo our kitchen for us?” He meant for free.)
Nandkeolyar made his remarks in December during a keynote address at the National Center for Database Marketing conference in Orlando, FL.
