John Fischer

Proprietary Knowledge

| John Fischer

Offering unique product is crucial to success in today’s multichannel selling environment. And the only way to ensure that nobody offers the same merchandise

Spoiled for choice

| John Fischer

Barry Schwartz admitted that he’s not a direct marketer. But in his May 10 keynote address, Schwartz, a psychology professor at Swarthmore College and

WHERE ARE THEY NOW?

| John Fischer

Then: British broadcaster BBC released the BBC America Shop print catalog in September 2001, three years after it launched its BBC America cable-TV network.

Direct Wine Sales to Texas Approved

| John Fischer

Lone Star state residents can break out the bubbly: A U.S. district judge from the Northern District of Texas, Fort Worth Division, approved a preliminary injunction yesterday that will allow both in-state and out-of-state wine retailers to ship wine to customers in Texas.

Standard Mailers Could See 9% Postal Rate Hike

| John Fischer

Better prepare to pay more in postage: The U.S. Postal Service on May 3 filed a proposal with the Postal Rate Commission (PRC) seeking an average overall rate hike of about 8.5%, with a 9% increase for standard mail. Priority Mail is proposed to increase by 13.8%; Express Mail by 12.5%; package services by 13.4%; and periodicals by 11.7%. The proposed price increases would take affect in mid-2007.

QuarkXPress vs. InDesign

| John Fischer

Catalog designers tend to prefer one of two layout programs: QuarkXPress or Adobe InDesign. Quark loyalists praise its ease of use and ability to handle