As part of a promotion, Stacy’s Pita Chip Company sent sample packages to 133,000 people nationwide - but only to people named Stacy.

According to Peter Fader at the Wharton School, even the most pessimistic forecasts of online grocery shopping posited 10 years ago proved to be too optimistic. For certain products, he says, consumers seem to be hardwired to see them, touch them and interact with a salesperson.

Although its Internet business is growing at a rate of 30 percent a year, The Container Store uses its customized direct mail and catalogs to get customers into their retail stores, where they can interact with expert staff members.

Wolverine Shoes sent out personalized postcards to 50,000 buyers of work and outdoor boots with a customized map showing where recipients could purchase Wolverine products.

Frank Romano, co-author of Personalized & Database Printing: The Complete Guide, reports a 500-percent increase in response rates when marketing pitches are customized with personal information about the recipients.

San Mateo-based Jigsaw allows salespeople to buy and trade business contacts online. The company’s database includes more than 5 million contacts.