PRC Approves Summer QR Code Promo
The QR code promotion that the U.S. Postal Service proposed last month has been given the green light by the Postal Regulatory Commission. The program offers a discount to catalogers who use...
Harry & David Gets Funds, Needs A Plan
Now that Harry & David Holdings received approval for a $310 million financial bailout from the U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Delaware, what’s next for the troubled of food and gifts merchant? ...
Grainger Launches First Public Safety Catalog
Grainger announces the release of its first catalog for public safety professionals including approximately 6,000 products in expanded categories such as gear and equipment, fleet maintenance, and emergency preparedness supplies. ...
Corbett: PRC Report Created Difficult Circumstances
At the National Postal Forum in San Diego, Multichannel Merchant sat down with Joseph Corbett, CFO of the U.S. Postal Service to discuss issues relevant to catalogers. ...
How Safeway Insurance Targets the Hispanic Market
Safeway Insurance was looking to boost its presence and name recognition in face of competition from better-known rivals with significantly higher advertising budgets...
Experts Weigh In On Likelihood of Huge Catalog Postal Rate Hike
The news last month that the U.S. Postal Service may be increasing rates sharply for the so-called “underwater” classes/subclasses of Standard Mail flats raised plenty of questions...
Digi-Key Halts Print Catalogs
Electronic components distributor Digi-Key Corp. won't be mailing any more print catalogs. The company announced that its catalog and TechZone magazine...
Oriental Trading Exits Chapter 11
It was a happy Valentine’s Day for Oriental Trading Co.: The party supplies and novelties seller announced today it has come out of bankruptcy. ...
Orchard Brands Lays Off 33
Due to ongoing integration of women's apparel catalogers Willow Ridge and Bedford Fair Lifestyles, 33 people were laid off on Nov. 16, according to Orchard Brands spokesperson Denise Deschenes...
Early Holiday Sales Up, AOV Down for Fairytale Brownies
Sales for the Black Friday-Cyber Monday period for Fairytale Brownies rose about 9%. But marketing coordinator Kari Gayes says the desserts merchant saw a slight drop in average order value because “we are offering a wider selection of gifts at a slightly lower price point this year and had more promotions earlier in the year than usual.”...
Plow & Hearth Launches WinterthurStore.com
Home decor merchant Plow and Hearth has added a new brand to its online stable: WinterthurStore.com. And it plans to mail a print catalog to accompany the Website in the spring...
Video: Harry & David Catalog Misses the Mark
The Gift Preview 2010 edition of the Harry & David catalog looks like any other food gifts catalog—leading recipients to conclude that Harry & David has become just like any other food gifts company....
New Poly Letter Wrap Product for Catalogers
The U.S. Postal Service's new business plan calls on customers and stakeholders to provide it with creative ideas that keep mail an attractive communications tool...
Orchard Brands On The Market
Since the news broke that multititle mailer Orchard Brands is for sale and that parent company Golden Gate Capital hired Moelis & Co. to find a buyer, industry experts are wondering what befell the $1.17 billion catalog business...
PRC Rejects Proposed Exigent Rate Case Hike
The Postal Regulatory Commission today unanimously rejected the U.S. Postal Service’s request for an exigent rate case hike, ending nearly three months of deliberations. The USPS request was for an average 5.6% rate increase....
J.C. Penney Quitting Catalogs
Spokesperson Darcie Brossart says J.C. Penney will instead distribute "look books." These resemble catalogs but carry less merchandise, have no catalog item numbers and refer customers to Penney’s website for information about styles, sizes and colors. ...
Harry & David Catalog is More Than Pretty
Harry & David’s Holiday Gift Collection 2009 earned its Gold Award in the Food/Gifts, Sales Over $20 Million Print category by juxtaposing great photos with a broad range of products and stellar service offerings....
L.L. Bean Has a Gift for Winning Catalogs
Combine copy with a strong merchandise mix, effective product photography, and “promotional offers that stand out without looking tacky,” and you have a winner of a catalog — literally, as Bean’s Christmas 2009 edition earned a Silver MCM Award in the Food/Gifts, Sales Over $20 Million Print category....
Spanish Cuisine Scores a Win for La Tienda
The merchandising—hams, cheeses, olives, oils, beans, pitchers, pans, wineskins—garnered unanimous praise for its breadth of items and price points. “This appears to be a wonderful representation of popular food across Spain, along with a selection of utensils with which to prepare or serve it,” summed up one judge. “For those who love Spain’s cuisine, it’s irresistible.” ...
Country Walkers Provides a Great Catalog Trip
Country Walkers always makes a splash with its beautiful, aspirational vacations catalog, and its 2010 edition is no different. ...
MCM Awards: How Chasing Fireflies Caught a Silver
In its Autumn 2009 catalog, Chasing Fireflies promotes its costumes and accessories by capturing children’s delight in the festivities. It also managed to capture a Silver Award in the Children’s Products Print category in the 2010 MCM Awards....
MCM Awards: "Fun and Functional" Earns Hanna Andersson a Gold
Parents want their children’s clothes to be fun and functional. By featuring beguiling photos alongside detailed copy, Hanna Andersson’s Christmas 2009 catalog, like the apparel it sells, manages to be both. This helped the cataloger earn a Gold in the 2010 MCM Awards in the Children’s Products Print category....
ACMA Elects 2010 Board
THE AMERICAN CATALOG MAILERS ASSOCIATION (ACMA) has named its board of directors for 2010. Allen Abbott of Paul Fredrick MenStyle was elected chairman;...
Walk the line—What can black do for your brand?
If I were to say, The Man in Black, who would you think of? If you're a music fan, chances are country legend Johnny Cash would come to mind. How can...
