Sears brings back its Wish Book

HOFFMAN ESTATES, Ill. The Sears Wish Book, formerly a colossal catalog that featured holiday gift ideas, is back with a slimmer style, AP reported Wednesday.

The catalog, which was shelved by the company over a decade ago, is being invigorated to expand its shopper demographic and reawaken its business.

Contrasting from its 832-page monstrous forerunner, the successor is nearly 200 pages is being mailed to shoppers this week, and is available on Sears.com. This year's Wish Book marks the first full-fledged catalog by the retailer since 1993.

Sears has created smaller toy-only Wish Books through a partnership with EToys.com and publishes periodic mailers that focus on things such as a tools or furniture, reports said. Half this year’s catalog is said to be devoted to toys, while the remainder will focus on other store items ranging from appliance and tools to clothes and jewelry.

"We all get lots of gifts, but wishes are a special thing," said chief marketing officer Richard Gerstein. "And I think that's what this book used to embody, and that's why we're bringing it back."

The company has not disclosed how many copies of the Wish Book are being printed, but has told the public that it's far fewer than the massive distribution decades ago.