PRINT CHANNEL
Covering all aspects of the print catalog aspect of the multichannel business, including creative, copy, pagination, printing, production, distribution, and circulation
QUARTERLY PAPER UPDATE: Prices flat for now
After a few quarters of rising paper prices, catalogers may be getting a break. Provided overall mill capacity stays the same, several experts expect that paper prices will remain flat for the rest of this year...
Will PMG Potter's Departure Mean Jack for USPS?
JIM TIERNEY: It's hard to know what to make of Jack Potter's decision to retire as U.S. Postmaster General on Dec. 3. Should catalogers be relieved, apprehensive,...
Damn Your Dirty Data
I Keep My Postal Carrier in Good Shape with the number of catalogs she delivers to my house every day. I'm a frequent catalog shopper and a mail order...
A new crop of catalogs
When It Comes to the Web, most merchants are happy to talk about what they're doing even how they're doing. Getting them to talk about general sales is...
QuadWinkowski Consolidates Operations
QuadWinkowski, the Poland-based printer owned by Quad/Graphics, has announced plans to consolidate its operations into one massive production facility. ...
Live From the National Catalog Forum: Deputy PMG Wants Action for Catalogers
With talk of an impending exigent rate case next year, Deputy Postmaster General Pat Donahoe said it’s imperative that the U.S. Postal Service receives resolution involving two key issues....
Live From the National Catalog Forum: Catalogs Must Communicate With Congress
If you don’t want to get whacked with high postal rates, you need to communicate to Congress what a price increase will mean to your business, according to Gene Del Polito, president of the Association for Postal Commerce. ...
Design that takes the cake
VeryVera VeryVera sells all sorts of foods, from hors d'oeuvres and salads to casseroles and quiches. But its real bread and butter is cake double chocolate...
Variable data printing update
True print personalization namely, customized catalogs and other tailored direct mail communications was supposed to be the next big thing five years...
letters/opinion
We just finished reading Herschell Gordon Lewis' Annual Best and Worst Copy in the February edition of Multichannel Merchant. Wow this is the first time...
Tales From the Front
The husband of a Multichannel Merchant staffer ordered (or so he thought) a jar of Basil & Cabernet vinegar in dipping oil from the Napa Style Website....
USPS Pitches Summer Sale 2010
The U.S. Postal Service is planning a “Summer Sale” on postage for any increased Standard Mail volume for some catalog Mailers. This is a followup to last summer’s inaugural program....
Eight reasons why direct mail still works
Multichannel marketers today tend to get caught up in the frenzy of the next greatest trend. What about Web 3.0? What's the hot social networking application?...
Study Finds USPS Overpaid Pension Fund by $75B
The U.S. Postal Service was overcharged by $75 billion for payments to Civil Service Retirement System (CSRS) retirees from 1972-2009, according to a study released by the Office of Inspector General (OIG)....
USPS Cuts Back on Post Office Closings
The U.S. Postal Service’s Station and Branch Optimization Initiative has again reduced its initial list of 677 stations and branches identified for possible closure or consolidation. After trimming the list to 413, that fluid figure now rests at 371, according to USPS spokesperson Yvonne Yoerger....
Live from NEMOA—10 Thoughts for Today’s Catalogers
You can learn a lot about the industry by running a catalog business, according to Terry Jukes, president of software firm Ability Commerce. Jukes should know—he’s run a few merchant companies, including MISCO and G. Neil....
Bare Necessities Launches Wacoal Spin-off
A year after launched its first-ever print catalog, intimate apparel merchant Bare Necessities has dropped a spin-off title of Wacoal bras and lingerie....
New Slim-Jim Standards to Kick In May 11
Letter-size booklets--aka slim-jim catalogs—will soon be a bit more difficult to open, as the first of the new standards published by the U.S. Postal Service takes effect in two weeks....
Anthropologie to Cut Catalog Circ
In reporting that its total company sales so far in fiscal 2010 are lower than the same period last year, specialty retailer Urban Outfitters said yesterday it would cut circulation for its Anthropologie by about 14%. ...
R.R. Donnelley Lands $175 Million Orchard Brands Contract
The print catalog is not dead yet: R.R. Donnelley has snagged a multiyear $175 million agreement with multititle apparel, gifts and home goods catalog mailer Orchard Brands....
1-800-Flowers.com Mum on Reported Layoffs at Plow & Hearth
Home decor merchant Plow and Hearth reportedly laid off at least 45 workers in two rounds last week. And according to a report from Madison County, VA, news television station NBC29, more job cuts are expected at the cataloger....
MCM Awards 2008
It's not easy to be the best In fact, it's quite hard to put forth the effort that goes into flawless catalog creative, seamless Website navigation, unique,...
Live From E-Tail: Print Catalogs Still Not Dead
Washington—It wouldn’t be an Internet marketing conference without the "Are catalogs a dead breed?" debate popping up...
May Mailings Plunge
Mailbox Clutter seems to be clearing out. According to the Catalog Tracker service of list firm Direct Media, the number of catalogs tracked in May was...
What's new in stock
Buying catalog paper hasn't been fun for a while. For one, prices keep heading up the third quarter marked the fifth consecutive hike in paper costs....
Getting creative
Your catalog creative has to entice people to open the book; it must make the products look their best and inspire customers to buy. So catalog design...
ACMA forum
The American Catalog Mailers Association held its first National Catalog Advocacy & Strategy Forum in Washington June 26-27, and Multichannel Merchant was there. Here's a roundup of our coverage...
B-to-B mailers start strong
The business-to-business and computer merchants tracked by Multichannel Merchant got off to a good start this year: The majority turned in stellar performances...
MCM 100: The Major Players
Considering how rough the economy has been for multichannel marketers this past year, it's no wonder that our annual ranking of the top-100 companies...
Fine print
Your list broker is important to you. So is your tailor. But both of them take a back seat to the most essential partner of all: Your printer. Finding...
