Although not directly tied to Spiegel's specialty catalogue for larger women, the video, introduced last year, comes with a $10 merchandise certificate.

It also offered new specialty catalogues, including one called "Changes" that concentrated on natural-fiber women's apparel.

Increased circulation of its specialty catalogues also helped fatten the bottom line.

Ecobaby, a specialty catalogue, said its customer list grew tenfold in 1998.

The products are sold through specialty catalogues.

Sears's unprofitable mail-order business, which includes some specialty catalogues, still does the bulk of its business from its 1,600-page fall and spring catalogues.

It will also issue a specialty catalogue that will offer many of the same clothes by mail.

But it lost ground in recent years to specialty catalogues, which offer a narrower selection of merchandise, and to discount retail stores, which are able to change prices quickly.

Most gardeners (and statistics show half of all Americans garden) don't buy their plants from specialty catalogues.

Mr. Dyer, who is 43, was hired in 1989, helping the company introduce "Coming Home With Lands' End," one of its three specialty catalogues.