Blair And His Bag Of Raincoats
In 1910, John Leo Blair founded a company, called New Process Company. Blair was a law student from Pennsylvania. While trying to sell a suitcase full of raincoats, he realised that the best way to sell a product, was to market it directly to the consumers. He began with printing and mailing advertising flyers to business undertakers, across the nation. The flyers fetched an overwhelming response and he got offers for mailing other reasonably priced products. The mail order business grew rapidly. In the late 1920s, the company went public, with its shares trading on the American Stock Exchange. Since its inception, surefooted, quiet growth. The flyers gave way to catalogs and the target market expanded. The company also focussed on e-commerce and online shopping. Today, Blair has become one of America's largest direct marketing mail order retailers. Due to recession in the mid 2000s and declining sales, Blair entered a merger deal and is now a part of Orchard Brands.
How The Blair Corporation Works Blair Corporation has its headquarters in Warren, Pennsylvania. It has two retail stores, in Warren and Grove city, although most of the business is done through mail-orders or online shopping. The company has a merchandise distribution centre in Irvine, Pennsylvania, where orders are filled and shipped from. It primarily deals in women's and men's apparels and household goods. Other merchandise includes- accessories, innerwear, travel essentials, jewellery, and bath solutions, pet and garden products. Apparels account for more than 80% of the sales, with women clothing being the highest sales generator. Blair pioneered the seven day free trial and approval offer for its goods, giving buyers the right to return anything unsatisfactory.
Blair Offers Quality At A Reasonable Price Through its catalogs and website, Blair primarily targets its middle aged and senior, low to middle income group customers. Most of the merchandise is made by independent suppliers, according to Blair's specifications. The company's priority is to add more customers to its files develop target marketing and optimize its mail-stream process.
The Path Ahead For Blair Now as a part of Orchard Brands, Blair is looking at re-organisation and expansion. With extensive call centre operations, increased efficiency and a modern distribution centre, Blair Corporation is also handling orders for its sister companies. The company is aiming at developing and expanding its database capabilities in areas of credit management and target marketing. The company has deep knowledge, experience and insight into the mail order industry. This multi channel marketing company is looking towards persistent growth while keeping up the company's standards.
