Smithfield Foods buys Basse's Choice catalog

Longtime supplier Smithfield Foods has acquired cataloger/retailer Basse’s Choice. The purchase price was undisclosed. The deal was completed in June but announced only last week.

Smithfield Foods bought food gifts cataloger Smithfield Cos. early last year. At the time, Smithfield Foods considered using the catalogs that Smithfield Cos. mailed to sell not only products that the Smithfield Cos. made but also other Smithfield Foods products, Basse’s Choice founder Alan Monette said in a statement. But that would have put it in direct competition with Basse’s Choice, which had been selling Smithfield Foods products for 12 years.

"We would have been direct competitors with each other, and it wouldn't have made much sense," Monette said.