Playing private eye

| Paul Miller

Catalogers and industry observers estimate that 20%-60% of the names on a business-to-business house file become inactive in any given year. And reactivating

Privacy clampdown

| Shannon Oberndorf

According to the Data Protection Directive of the European Union (EU), which went into effect Oct. 25, nations belonging to the EU are forbidden to transmit

People

| MCM staff

Kim Myers is now managing editor of outdoor apparel and equipment cataloger Patagonia, based in Ventura, CA.Gift catalog Eximious has named Jeff Parnell

People

| MCM staff

Kim Myers is now the managing editor of Patagonia in Ventura, CA.Eximious has named Jeff Parnell as CEO. Parnell had been vice president of marketing

Predicting that next purchase

| MCM staff

You’ve just purchased a Bonnie Raitt CD from online music seller CDnow. Immediately, the Website analyzes your needs, using information about other customers’

Pet peeved

| MCM staff

It may be hard to imagine the King of High Tech, Sharper Image catalog/retail empire founder Richard Thalheimer, steam-cleaning pet stains out of a carpet,

People

| MCM staff

Paul F. Robinson has been named chief financial officer of Stamford, CT-based PC Flowers & Gifts, an Internet flower and gift service. Robinson was formerly

People

| MCM staff

Gail Farlee has joined Chicago-based auto parts cataloger J.C. Whitney as director of customer relations. Formerly a director of telecommunications and

Potpourri gets Back in the Saddle

| MCM staff

Potpourri Collections, the $35 million parent company of gift catalogs Potpourri and Expressions, and needlecraft titles The Stitchery and Counted Cross

Print & Production

| MCM staff

Instant gratification. That’s what consumers want in the ’90s, and catalogers aim to please. But for years, mailers have been hard-pressed to get their