Carole Sloan — Furniture Today,
The cover of Ethan Allen’s new catalog evokes the mood of summer. Six million copies of the book will be mailed.


DANBURY, Conn. — Ethan Allen has launched its first nonsale catalog, a major marketing salvo in what its leader calls the upscale retailer’s “graduation from a furniture store to an interior design company.”

The 40-page catalog, which looks more like a chic, minimalist magazine, “takes us and the home furnishings business to the next level,” said Farooq Kathwari, chairman, president and CEO of the retailer-manufacturer and Top 100 store. “It projects our total home furnishings and our design services. It’s the first of this attitude.”

A total of 6 million copies will be mailed, in several flights throughout the summer, to existing and prospective customers.

The first wave began in the third week of June, “and we’re happy with the early response,” Kathwari said.

A seagrass chair and ottoman set on a striped rug, offer a casual decorating touch.
The idea is to drive consumers into the stores, which number nearly 300 nationwide.

“It’s definitely not a sale brochure since we’re on everyday low pricing,” he said.

The next catalog will be in the fall.

“The catalog reflects where we are in our marketing approach,” Kathwari said. “It was designed to inspire both our customers and our own people” as the company intensifies its attention to style, quality and detail.

The Zoe chair in a cowhide patterned cover is featured at $999.
The summer-themed publication is short on copy, with just a style name and price given for each of the items featured.

Furniture and accessories are presented as standalone pieces, not in room settings or vignettes.

Between every four or so pages is a 3½-inch by 5½-inch tip-in card highlighting an Ethan Allen service, including its in-store designers, custom details and options, and its e-mail newsletter, Inside Style.

Distribution is being done on a regional metro basis, with area stores identified on the outside back cover by address and phone number.

The catalog, on high-quality stock with sophisticated photography, was done completely in house, from styling to photography to graphics, Kathwari said.