Just in time to splurge on Dad, Frontgate’s inaugural issue of Gentlemen’s Domain arrived, touting itself as “The Official Catalog of Things Men Want.” Underscoring the holiday, the Father’s Day Issue presents a picturesque trio of males on its cover – presumably son, father, and grandfather.
The uniquely shaped Gentlemen’s Domain book measures a square 10″ x 10″, and its 56-pages contain a large selection of distinctive gifts suitable for men of all ages. As expected from an upscale cataloger like Frontgate, most of the price points in Gentlemen’s Domain skew fairly high. Items include an assortment of games (golfing gear, shuffleboard table), grooming devices, and modern Father’s Day classics like a professional barbecue grill ($995) and a big screen TV (Frontgate’s is 80″ and costs $3,595). Smaller ticket items such as tire gauges and nose hair trimmers ($29) are also included, but the majority of gifts are priced between $100 and $400.
As part of its introduction (and positioning for the future), Gentlemen’s Domain spends quality time speaking directly to the women in its audience. Every perfect gift, after all, needs a perfect gift giver. The catalog letter from Frontgate president Paul Tarvin quotes his wife, Meg, as claiming “It’s a real struggle for women to find new and innovative gifts for the men in their lives. Now…there’s a trusted source for the things men really want.” If more female empathy is required, there is also a sizable “Cathy” cartoon on page six dedicated to “the frustration of finding the perfect gift for a man.”
Orders from Gentlemen’s Domain may be placed by mail, fax, toll-free number or on its Web site. Standard Frontgate perks like a 90-day price protection guarantee and the unusually extended “395-day” satisfaction guarantee remain, plus a “Platinum Gift Wrap Service” at $4.95 for most items.
Monica Bourgeois is research coordinator at ParadyszMatera in New York, which analyzes direct mail pieces through it’s online tracking service MarketRelevance.
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