The Fingerhut catalog is re-launching with a fall/winter book to be mailed Nov. 9.
A Web site, www.fingerhut.com, will also be launched sometime in the next 30 days, said Mary Pernula, spokesperson for Fingerhut Direct Marketing Inc. Both the catalog and site will carry a broad selection of general merchandise, according to a company statement.
The 216-page catalog is mailing to “former Fingerhut customers,” according to Pernula. She wouldn’t comment on whether or not the company is prospecting as well.
The last time those customers heard from Fingerhut was in the fourth quarter of 2001.
“We have faced many challenges in getting this done in a very short time,” said Ted Deikel, chairman of Fingerhut Direct Marketing, in a statement. The business will be ramped up in the coming months based on response to the first mailing, according to the statement.
“We don’t know what the response is going to be,” Pernula said. “We’re cautiously optimistic.”
The headquarters of the revamped catalog is in the old company headquarters in Minnetonka, MN. The base of the fulfillment operations is in St. Cloud.
Several positions have been filled in St. Cloud and Minnetonka, according to the release.
Pernula would not comment on how many former Fingerhut employees would be re-hired. She confirmed that the company is in talks with the former Fingerhut union, UNITE.
Deikel, the CEO of Fingerhut, purchased Fingerhut assets from Federated Department Stores Inc. in July, along with partner Tom Petters. The Fingerhut headquarters building shares space with Petters’ other companies BoomBuy Inc. and Redtag Inc.
Fingerhut Direct Marketing is owned and operated by FAC Acquisitions in which Deikel and Petters are the principals.
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