Lillian Vernon
Encyclopedia
Lillian Vernon Corporation is an American
catalog merchant
and online retailer
that sells household, children's and fashion accessory products. In business since 1951 (when it was founded by housewife Lillian Hochberg out of her Mount Vernon, New York
apartment; the business name is a combination of her first name and her hometown. It is owned by Glen Taylor
's Taylor Corporation.Company founder Lillian Hochberg is now retired and is no longer involved with the business.
On February 15, 2008, following a particularly bad holiday season and faced with worsening credit market conditions, the company gave notice to half the employees in its headquarters and distribution facilities that they were being laid off. The following Wednesday, February 20, the company announced that it was filing for bankruptcy and that it would either be sold, or wind down the business. Following the bankruptcy filing, the company was sold to Current USA, the highest bidder, in April 2008.
In November and December 2008 the company held special online coupon promotions for Black Friday
and Cyber Monday
.
In March of 2011, Current USA closed the Virginia Beach warehouse location to reduce costs. Warehouse and call center operations were moved to a Colorado location operated by the parent company Taylor Corporation.
Lillian Vernon has re-established itself post-bankruptcy, expanding its internet presence through Facebook
and Apple's iTunes marketplace. In September 2010, Lillian Vernon released a free storybook for iOS devices including the iPad
, iPhone
and iPod Touch
called "Dusty D. Dawg has feelings too".
Lillian Vernon was given the lowest score (55 out of 100) of any rated apparel company (there were 11 total) in the Human Rights Campaign
's 2008 Corporate Equality Index
, a measure of gay and lesbian workplace equality..
, Monica Potter
and Marla Maples
. Funny products from the similarly named but imaginary Lillian Verner company are featured in The Lillian Verner Game Show, which was a recurring game show
spoof on the television sketch comedy
series MADtv
.
In the musical Hedwig and the Angry Inch
, the song "Sugar Daddy" includes a lyric in which Hedwig tell his American military boyfriend that "I want all the luxuries of the modern age, / Every item on every page / Of the Lillian Vernon catalogue."
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
catalog merchant
Catalog merchant
A catalog merchant is a form of retailing. The typical merchant sells a wide variety of household and personal products, with many emphasizing jewelry. Unlike a self-serve retail store, most of the items are not displayed; customers select the products from printed catalogs in the store and fill...
and online retailer
Online shop
Online shopping is the process whereby consumers directly buy goods or services from a seller in real-time, without an intermediary service, over the Internet. It is a form of electronic commerce...
that sells household, children's and fashion accessory products. In business since 1951 (when it was founded by housewife Lillian Hochberg out of her Mount Vernon, New York
Mount Vernon, New York
Mount Vernon is a city in Westchester County, New York, United States. It lies on the border of the New York City borough of The Bronx.-Overview:...
apartment; the business name is a combination of her first name and her hometown. It is owned by Glen Taylor
Glen Taylor
Glen A. Taylor is an American businessman who is the majority owner of the Minnesota Timberwolves basketball team, owner of the Minnesota Lynx WNBA basketball team, and a former member of the Minnesota Senate.-Biography:...
's Taylor Corporation.Company founder Lillian Hochberg is now retired and is no longer involved with the business.
History
The privately held company was sold in July 2003 to investment firm Direct Holdings Worldwide, which in turn sold the company to Sun Capital Partners in May 2006.On February 15, 2008, following a particularly bad holiday season and faced with worsening credit market conditions, the company gave notice to half the employees in its headquarters and distribution facilities that they were being laid off. The following Wednesday, February 20, the company announced that it was filing for bankruptcy and that it would either be sold, or wind down the business. Following the bankruptcy filing, the company was sold to Current USA, the highest bidder, in April 2008.
In November and December 2008 the company held special online coupon promotions for Black Friday
Black Friday (shopping)
Black Friday is the day following Thanksgiving Day in the United States, traditionally the beginning of the Christmas shopping season. On this day, most major retailers open extremely early, often at 4 a.m., or earlier, and offer promotional sales to kick off the shopping season, similar to Boxing...
and Cyber Monday
Cyber Monday
Cyber Monday is a marketing term for the Monday immediately following Black Friday, the Friday following Thanksgiving Day in the United States, created by companies to persuade people to shop online...
.
In March of 2011, Current USA closed the Virginia Beach warehouse location to reduce costs. Warehouse and call center operations were moved to a Colorado location operated by the parent company Taylor Corporation.
Lillian Vernon has re-established itself post-bankruptcy, expanding its internet presence through Facebook
Facebook
Facebook is a social networking service and website launched in February 2004, operated and privately owned by Facebook, Inc. , Facebook has more than 800 million active users. Users must register before using the site, after which they may create a personal profile, add other users as...
and Apple's iTunes marketplace. In September 2010, Lillian Vernon released a free storybook for iOS devices including the iPad
IPad
The iPad is a line of tablet computers designed, developed and marketed by Apple Inc., primarily as a platform for audio-visual media including books, periodicals, movies, music, games, and web content. The iPad was introduced on January 27, 2010 by Apple's then-CEO Steve Jobs. Its size and...
, iPhone
IPhone
The iPhone is a line of Internet and multimedia-enabled smartphones marketed by Apple Inc. The first iPhone was unveiled by Steve Jobs, then CEO of Apple, on January 9, 2007, and released on June 29, 2007...
and iPod Touch
IPod Touch
The iPod Touch is a portable media player, personal digital assistant, handheld game console, and Wi-Fi mobile device designed and marketed by Apple Inc. The iPod Touch adds the multi-touch graphical user interface to the iPod line...
called "Dusty D. Dawg has feelings too".
Lillian Vernon was given the lowest score (55 out of 100) of any rated apparel company (there were 11 total) in the Human Rights Campaign
Human Rights Campaign
The Human Rights Campaign is the United States' largest LGBT advocacy group and lobbying organization; according to the HRC, it has more than one million members and supporters...
's 2008 Corporate Equality Index
Corporate Equality Index
The Corporate Equality Index is a report published by the Human Rights Campaign Foundation as a tool to rate American businesses on their treatment of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender employees, consumers and investors. Its primary source of data are surveys but researchers cross-check...
, a measure of gay and lesbian workplace equality..
Pop culture
Several Hollywood celebrities began their careers as Lillian Vernon models including Jason BiggsJason Biggs
Jason Matthew Biggs is an American actor who is best known for his role as Jim Levenstein in the American Pie series of teen comedy films.-Personal life:...
, Monica Potter
Monica Potter
Monica Potter is an American film and television actress.-Early life:Potter, one of four daughters, was born in Cleveland, Ohio, to an Irish American Roman Catholic family. Her father, Paul Brokaw, was the inventor of the first flame-resistant car wax, and her mother, Nancy, was a secretary....
and Marla Maples
Marla Maples
Marla Maples is an American actress, television personality, and socialite, best known for her marriage to businessman celebrity Donald Trump.- Personal life :...
. Funny products from the similarly named but imaginary Lillian Verner company are featured in The Lillian Verner Game Show, which was a recurring game show
Game show
A game show is a type of radio or television program in which members of the public, television personalities or celebrities, sometimes as part of a team, play a game which involves answering questions or solving puzzles usually for money and/or prizes...
spoof on the television sketch comedy
Sketch comedy
A sketch comedy consists of a series of short comedy scenes or vignettes, called "sketches," commonly between one and ten minutes long. Such sketches are performed by a group of comic actors or comedians, either on stage or through an audio and/or visual medium such as broadcasting...
series MADtv
MADtv
MADtv is an American sketch comedy television series. It licensed the name and logo of Mad, but otherwise had no connection with the humor magazine outside the animated Spy vs. Spy and Don Martin cartoon shorts and images of Alfred E. Neuman that the show featured during the late 1990s. Its first...
.
In the musical Hedwig and the Angry Inch
Hedwig and the Angry Inch (musical)
Hedwig and the Angry Inch is a rock musical about a fictional rock and roll band fronted by an East German transgender singer. The text is by John Cameron Mitchell, and the music and lyrics are by Stephen Trask. The musical premiered in 1998 and has been performed throughout the world in hundreds...
, the song "Sugar Daddy" includes a lyric in which Hedwig tell his American military boyfriend that "I want all the luxuries of the modern age, / Every item on every page / Of the Lillian Vernon catalogue."