Mark Del Franco

Paragon Gifts sold

| Mark Del Franco

Another day, another acquisition: Private equity firm Reliant Equity Investors in March bought Westerly, RI-based Paragon Gifts Holdings, parent of gifts

Heirs Put Tog Shop, A.B. Lambdin Up for Sale

| Mark Del Franco

The heirs of Tog Shop founder Emory Rylander, who started the catalog in 1950, have put the family business up for sale. And according to Carl Tott, president of the Americus, GA-based cataloger/retailer, a party is already working on an agreement to acquire the Tog Shop catalog.

Nordstrom Easing Out of Catalogs

| Mark Del Franco

It?s no surprise that $7.1 billion Seattle-based apparel merchant Nordstrom is concentrating on growing its retail business. What is a surprise is that Nordstrom, with $375.3 million in direct sales last year, is all but exiting the catalog business