Healthcare products provider Henry Schein Inc. has reopened its disaster relief hotline for dentists, physicians and veterinarians who have operational, logistical or financial issues. The toll-free number -- 800-999-9729 -- is operational and is being staffed from 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. CST.

QVC and its vendors have pledged to raise $3 million for the American Red Cross Hurricane 2005 Relief Fund. For the next seven days, participating vendors will donate a portion of their sales to the fund and QVC will match that donation. All vendors and their products that are part of the initiative will be identified with an American Red Cross logo on-air and on QVC.com. The shopping network has also implemented a matching employee donation program.

Music venue Preservation Hall -- itself in the devastated French Quarter and closed indefinitely -- is also raising donations. Visitors to its e-commerce Web site http://www.preservationhall.com who click on the store link are being directed to make a donation to a fund to aid local musicians.

MediaSpan Online Services / First MediaWorks has begun two initiatives to help the hurricane victims and media properties in the Gulf Coast area that serve affected communities. Free Web site hosting and FTP server access is being offered to any local media property whose current site has been short-circuited due to the disaster. The company has also created a free hurricane relief application that can be integrated directly into radio station Web sites. The application will securely deliver funds to the Red Cross Hurricane relief effort, and allow stations to individually track and mange local donations. Contact Mike Gibbs at 949-369-5900 x209 or mgibbs@firstmediaworks.com for more information.

The U.S. Postal Service is reaching out to reconnect with its employees in affected areas through a toll-free number, 1-877-477-3273. Employees in a work location closed due to Hurricane Katrina will receive a prompt to connect with a USPS call center agent, who will collect the employee's information.

Information Refinery Inc. is offering nonprofit organizations, government agencies and other humanitarian groups data from its Construction Marketplace master file at no charge to assist with recovery efforts. The offer applies to 190,000 postal records within a 500-mile radius of New Orleans. Additionally, the firm is offering to donate more than 6,000 e-mail records for the same geographic area derived from various e-mail files. The company is also offering to transmit e-mail campaigns for such groups to the affected region at no charge.

August sales for JoS. A Bank Clothier's Inc. were up 29.8% to $28.3 million, compared to $21.8 million in August 2004. Comparable store sales for the men's clothier increased in August 12.9% compared to August 2004. The Hampstead, MD-based company credited sportswear for the gains. Total sales for the seven months ended Aug. 27 increased 21.7% to $223.5 million compared with $183.7 million in the first seven months of 2004. Comparable store sales increased 5.5% in the first seven months of this year compared to last year, and combined catalog and Internet sales rose 26%. JoS. A. Bank plans to open 46 stores by the end of 2005, and plans to grow the chain to 500 stores over the next three to four years.

Sharper Image Corp.posted total sales of $36.6 million for the calendar month ended Aug. 31, a 15% decrease from the $43.3 million posted in Aug. 2004. Total store sales were $24.0 million, versus $26.0 million in the prior August, an eight percent decrease. Comparable store sales in August decreased 14%; a six percent increase was reported during the same month last year. Total catalog sales/direct marketing sales (including wholesale) were $7.2 million compared to last August's $11.1 million, a decrease of 35%. Internet sales were $5.4 million compared to last August's $6.2 million, a decrease of 12%.

The Neiman Marcus Group Inc. posted total revenues of $255 million for the four weeks ended Aug. 27, a 6.5% increase over the $239 million reported in August 2004. Comparable revenues in the Specialty Retail Stores segment, which includes Neiman Marcus Stores and Bergdorf Goodman, increased 8.7 percent. Revenue growth trends were the strongest in the company's stores in the West and Midwest. Comparable revenues at Neiman Marcus Direct in August increased 8.4%. Top selling merchandise categories in the DM segment included women's shoes and apparel, designer handbags, jewelry and men's.

August sales at clothing cataloger and retailer The Talbots Inc. increased 9% to $93.1 million from $85.4 million for the four weeks ended Aug. 28, 2004. Comparable store sales increased 2.3% for the month. Year-to-date sales for the 30 weeks ended Aug. 27 increased 10.0% to $989.2 million from $899.1 million reported for the 30 weeks ended Aug. 28, 2004.

J. C. Penney Co. Inc. posted total sales of $1.57 billion for August, versus $1.52 billion for the same four weeks last year. Direct sales were flat at $194 million, compared to a six percent increase in last year's August period. Sales for jcpenney.com increased nearly 30% for the month, on top of a 35% increase last August. Total department store sales for were up 3.7% for the month ended Aug. 27, while comparable store sales increased 2.8%. The best performing merchandise categories for the month were women's accessories and fine jewelry, home furnishings and family shoes. From a geographical perspective, sales were strongest in the southeast and western regions of the country.

Many list companies are addressing this issue and it's the right thing to do for our clients. The USPS has closed the zips and the mail will simply be wasted and irritate those near the crisis.

However, I think I will be sick if I hear one more Gandhi-esque statement that somehow implies this strategy is helping the hurricane victims. Puh-lease. There is a lot we must do right now for the victims, but this effort is clearly for our clients.

Chris Ragusa, CFRE
President
Estee Marketing Group Inc.
New Rochelle, NY

Ronco's Kitchen Product Buyers
Consumers who responded to infomercials are named on the Ronco's Kitchen Product Buyers file, newly managed by Fasano and Assoc. Although these 600,000 buyers were offered an installment payment plan, about 70% made their purchases with one payment. Pioneer Pacific List Marketing Inc. formerly handled this list. Selections: Hotlines, gender, state/SCF/ZIP Price: $90/M (postal); $150/M (telemarketing) Contact: Fasano and Assoc., 818-728-9030

Gardening the Organic Way
Online survey data has been assembled to create the Gardening the Organic Way list. These 278,814 individuals are interested in preserving local eco-systems and concerned about the environment.
Selections: Hotlines, mail order buyers, magazine subscribers, donors, age, gender, household income, hobbies and interests, marital status, credit card user, ethnicity, occupation, education, religion, presence of children, homeowner, state/SCF/ZIP
Price: $85/M
Contact: ListSolutions, 732-729-0500

AMM Group Files
Internet marketing firm Aggressive Marketing & Management Group Inc. has released a portfolio of postal and telemarketing lists generated from a network of lead generation Web sites. Sixteen million names are available. List segments include leads for weight loss, wedding planning, home improvement, tattoos and astrology offers.
Selections: Gender, income range, age, state/SCF/ZIP
Price: $95/M (postal); $150/M (telemarketing)
Contact: Interactive Marketing Solutions, 845-624-1155

• Pull together and record historical data
• Provide data to list brokers and coops
• Develop list recos by season with list brokers and coops
• Approve daily clearance log from list broker
• Update and maintain prospect analysis portion of the download
• Update and maintain the Full prospecting history document
• Plan & execute prospect tests and segmentation
• Manage Prospecting Invoices, reconcile costs and list income

• Work with retail stores to improve address capture rates and speed to fulfillment
• Work with address capture card entry vendor to ensure quick turnaround time and accuracy
• Replenish prepaid labeled envelopes to stores on a regular basis
• Work with Experian and Equifax to ensure quick and accurate processing and communication of address capture data to the database and Channelview
• Approve and process address capture invoices
• Develop and track address capture expense forecasts and names captured with associated costs

• Ensure tests and versions required are communicated in a timely manner
• Work with Service Bureau to execute append, ECOA and segmentation projects
• Complete and distribute email file pulls for email campaigns

• Work with the Director of Direct Marketing to manage the production and planning of magazine and newspaper advertising
• Track and update advertising calendar
• Communicate product sales and catalog request estimates as appropriate
• Act as main liaison between Creative and Marketing on advertising and other media
• Track editorial calendars from key publications to identify opportunities

• Work with Director of Direct Marketing to identify and test new acquisition or reactivation opportunities and conversion
• Work with publications to continue tests of catalog ride-along programs
• Set up all necessary source codes and 800 numbers for acquisition/advertising programs
• Proof all creative to ensure accuracy of product details, 800 numbers and source codes
• Manage relationship and prepayment with Martinez post office for BRC cards
• Communicate advertising, tests, etc. to the Planners, Store Ops and Call Center as required

• Assist in planning and execution of the annual Friends and Family event
• Assist in planning and execution of store event advertising including leather sale, store openings, store closings, warehouse sales, outlet stores, etc.
• Assist with market research and/or survey projects
• Write up research results for distribution
• Support and Wedding Registry efforts
• Manage Requester program - quantities and tests
• Work with Channelview to maximize capabilities of vendor