Sundance isn't so much about what's new as a reminder of what is. What exists in the area of quality and uniqueness that may not have been seen yet - not yet experienced. It is with this idea in mind that we take pleasure in presenting the Sundance catalog.Robert Redford
In "Romeo and Juliet," Ms. J. asks rhetorically, "What's in a name?" If the name is "Sundance," the answer might be, "Oh, about $23 million."
That's the total sales the Salt Lake-based Sundance Catalog Co. and its newly opened Sundance Outlet Store at 1460 Foothill Dr. expect to log this year.
Of course that figure doesn't include sales from Redford's Sundance resort in Provo Canyon, the Sundance Institute for the Arts, the annual Sundance Film Festival in Park City or his motion picture revenues.
Redford took the nickname of a Utah outlaw named Harry Longabaugh, who he portrayed in the now classic film "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid," and turned it into an industry.
Regarding the clothing, jewelry and home furnishings in the upscale catalog, Redford tells us on the inside front cover of the spring 1994 issue: "These things connect us to our heritage, and we believe that they enrich our lives.
"To us, a handmade lamp is more than just a way to light a room. It is a reflection of the spirit of the person who made it and a constant reminder of the elements of emotion and design that are common to us all. We try to bring the spirit of these artists to you in our catalog."
You have to admire the man. When anyone else tries to sell us things, it's retail commerce. When Robert Redford is making the pitch, it's a mystical experience.
According to Harold Rosenthal, managing director, Redford lends more than just his and the Sundance name to the catalog company. In the early days, he said, Redford would review the merchandise and model photos before each issue was printed. "As the man on the cover, he wanted to make sure that everything met his standards," said Rosenthal.
But now, having established a track record, he allows management to make those decisions. "He gets a weekly report now and that's about it," said Rosenthal.
Brent Beck, vice president of merchandising, said the new outlet store, opened three weeks ago, has performed beyond expectations. Shoppers have been eager to buy discontinued catalog items for 30 percent to 85 percent off their original catalog prices.
Sundance Catalog Company Ltd. was launched in the spring of 1989 with a printing of only 250,000 copies. But, in showbiz terms, it proved to have "legs." This year, roughly 9 million copies of the wish book will be mailed out in five issues to consumers in all 50 states, said Katie Talboys, press coordinator. A few even make their way overseas.
Although printing and mailing of the catalog is done out of state (mostly by printer/mailers in Chicago and Lancaster, Pa.) orders are taken and shipped from the company's combination phone center, warehouse and corporate headquarters at 1909 S. 4250 West in Salt Lake City.
On a Monday visit to that facility earlier this month, some 2,000 orders were taken and filled by the catalog company's 100 employees - not a record day, assured Tom Talboys, fulfillment manager, and only a fraction of the 200,000 orders the company will fill this year, most of them in the pre-Christmas buying season.
All but a few of the catalog's large furniture items - which are sent directly from the wholesaler to the customer - are stocked and mailed from the Salt Lake facility.
The idea for the catalog may or may not have come from Redford himself, according to Rosenthal. No one remembers for sure. (Redford was not available for an interview for this article.) But Rosenthal said the film star had been doing his shopping for years from catalogs, his famous face making it all but impossible to browse through stores when he needed a new shirt.
Redford and some partners launched the catalog five years ago, and Rosenthal said it has done better each year. Being privately owned, the company's finances are guarded as carefully as Redford's privacy, but, as noted above, Rosenthal would divulge that sales last year topped $19 million and projections for 1994 are in the range of $22 million to $23 million.
In case you think the catalog business is a license to print money, Rosenthal begs to differ. Checked your mail box lately? Was there room in it for your bills and letters what with all the catalogs stuffed in there? Right. It's gotten awfully competitive in mail-order land.
In the 1980s, high-end gadgetry catalogs such as the Sharper Image established themselves as toy stores for well-heeled yuppies - the pricier the merchandise the better. But those days are gone, said Rosenthal. Today's catalog shoppers demand value, even from upscale catalogs like Sundance whose merchandise is targeted at those in the upper tax brackets.
The key to catalog sales is the mailing list, and Rosenthal says Sundance is constantly trying to beg, buy or borrow names that will produce. The usual way to do that is from other mail-order companies, since previous orders are the best predictor of whether someone will buy from a catalog.
Sundance has about 350,000 of its own customers - people who have actually bought something: These are the most valuable names. Don't want to receive the catalog? Let Sundance know. If you don't want it, they don't want to send it, but your name will probably remain on the list unless they hear from you.
Co-owners with Redford of the Sundance Catalog include Rosenthal and Beck as well as Mary Whitesides, new products design manager; Gary Beer, president of the Sundance Group of Companies; and Jack Crosby, an outside investor.