Multi-site e-retailer CSN Stores grows sales by 85%

With more than 200 niche web sites selling home furnishings ranging from wall art and woks to waterbeds, CSN Stores Inc. grew sales by 85% last year to $202 million, up from $109 million in 2006, the retailer says.

CSN Stores, No. 107 in the Internet Retailer Top 500 Guide, is continuing to explore new merchandise categories for presenting on individual web sites, says Eric Klose, vice president of marketing. “We continue to identify categories we feel are underserved on the Internet,” he says.

With 500 employees at its Boston headquarters, the retailer maintains a staff of about 150 customer service reps who gather information from customers on what they like to shop for online. Combined with surveys and outside market research, the direct feedback from customers is shared among CSN’s merchandising and technology staff to help them evaluate potential new additions to the retailer’s assortment, Klose says.