Is the circular dead?

A handful of retail establishments are forsaking the simple household mailer for something a little more substantial. The Limited Too is making preparations to sell a series of books about the lives of four best friends and their obsession with fashion. And companies like Bloomingdales and Coach are now investing in 100-plus page publications dedicated to their wares. But what's interesting is there's no real method in the publications for generating sales - the companies aren't trying to make catalogs. Instead, they're attempting to build their brand images by generating loyal followers of their new publications.

I'm not a 16 year old girl, but I'm all for this trend. Anything to get rid of the dozens of circulars in my mailbox each week is a good thing.