MARKETING • E-COMMERCE • STRATEGY

Strategy from someone who has actually run the business.

Gary Smith has planned circulation for 40 million catalogs, grown e-commerce to half of company sales, built the LTV models, led Shopify and Klaviyo implementations, and architected the ERP behind them. Most consultants have studied these problems. GQS Direct has owned them.

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Why now

1

Digital ad costs keep rising

E-commerce brands are rediscovering catalogs and direct mail as acquisition channels — just as the people who know how to plan circulation are retiring.

2

AI is rewriting search

ChatGPT, Google AI Overviews, and Gemini now answer buyers directly. Brands need SEO and answer-engine optimization (AEO) strategy, not just keywords.

3

First-party data is the new moat

Privacy rules and platform changes reward merchants who master their own customer data — database marketing, LTV, and segmentation are fashionable again.

By the numbers

40+years of direct marketing & e-commerce leadership
44%of company sales moved to the web channel at BlueSky Brands
$16Mstartup brand built in four years (Crossing Pointe)
40M+catalogs circulated per year under direct management
20%+e-commerce growth at Hodges Badge Company
15+catalog & e-commerce brands served as consulting clients

Five ways to engage

Marketing Strategy & Analytics

Know exactly where the next dollar of growth comes from.

Entry offer: 360° Marketing Performance Review

E-Commerce & Digital Marketing

Found by customers — and by the AI engines they now ask.

Entry offer: E-Commerce Audit & Growth Roadmap

Catalog & Direct Mail

Mail works again — when someone who has planned 40 million catalogs plans yours.

Entry offer: Circulation Audit

Marketing Technology & Data

Buyer-side experience: requirements, RFQ, selection, implementation leadership.

Entry offer: MarTech & Systems Assessment

Business Turnaround & Recovery

Rapid analysis, decisive action, measurable recovery.

Entry offer: 5-Day Business Assessment

See all services in detail

Experience that includes

Hodges Badge Company • Blue Sky Brands / The Paragon • Blair Corporation • Crossing Pointe • Day-Timers • Genesis Direct • The Franklin Mint • Bits and Pieces • Design Toscano • Gardens Alive • JH Breakell • National Wildlife • Paragon Gifts • Paul Fredrick Menstyle • Rhode Island Novelty • The Big Popper

Let's talk.

A one-hour conversation about your business, your numbers, and where the fastest wins are.

Book a complimentary consultation