Department Store Publishing

This is creepy--a department store creates a book and tries to draw kids in as lifelong shoppers.

Stores use lure of children’s literature

By Lauren Beckham Falcone

Since 1947, the holiday movie “Miracle on 34th Street” has helped build brand awareness for Macy’s. What can other department stores do to appeal to kids - who in a few short years will have charge cards of their own?

Pen a children’s book.

Both Nordstrom and Saks Fifth Avenue have introduced new holiday picture books that may make loyal consumers out of the kiddies. Neither department store appears within its own tales, but the cross promotion is dizzying.

Saks is the exclusive seller of “Snowpeople” (HarperCollins, $16.95), a 21-page picture book starring a bunch of snow folk who want to express their individuality through - wait for it - trendy clothes. The chain is also featuring the characters in its window displays, hand-painted ornament collection, greeting cards and more.

The Great Snowpeople Hunt - think of it as Where’s Waldo meets the Wicked Wealthy - challenges customers to count the hidden snowpeople in the Saks holiday catalog. Players who submit their guesses online or in-store are eligible to win a 21-day cruise to Antarctica.

Nordstrom’s “Once Upon a Holiday” (Chronicle Books, $16.95), which was written by Nordstrom copy editor Randy Schliep, features a little girl named Sophie, who teams up with a cow, an owl and the moon to save Christmas. The book is available at Nordstrom stores nationwide, and the art inspired the chain’s 2007 holiday decor.