Geri McCuish, senior manager of national special events and public relations for The Bay, says the magazine was mailed to fashion savvy consumers, with household incomes of more than $100,000 a year, gathered from the company’s HBC Rewards database and selected postal walks. A few Bay stores with better quality women’s fashion departments will also carry some copies of Belle, she says. Consumers can also check the magazine at belle.ca.

The new title offers The Bay an opportunity to talk to a segment of its customer base, says McCuish, and it builds on the success of Living Spree. That Bay title is aimed at women and mothers ages 25 to 35 who have to keep an eye on their budgets.

The next issue, which is published in English and French, appears in November. McCuish says the magazine’s quarterly publication dates will coincide with the fashion and festival calendar. The first issue of Belle in 2005 is slated for May.

Although the emphasis in Belle is on women’s fashion and cosmetics, there are spreads on men’s fashion and home furnishings as well. Fuel Advertising in Toronto produces the magazine for The Bay. The editor of the new book is Joanna Becket, and there are contributions from such well known fashion writers and stylists as Karen von Hahn.

–David Chilton