J. Crew Mum on Potential IPO

| Mark Del Franco

Though “The Wall Street Journal” reported this week that New York-based cataloger/retailer J. Crew might file for an initial public offering (IPO) later this year, the company is staying silent.

Neiman Marcus Agrees to Sale; Two Investment Firms to Pay $5.1 Billion

| Mark Del Franco

Dallas-based cataloger/retailer The Neiman Marcus Group (NYSE: NMG.A) on May 2 agreed to be acquired by Texas Pacific Group and Warburg Pincus for $100 per share in cash, or $5.1 billion. Texas Pacific and Warburg Pincus will own an equal stake in the company upon the transaction

NEW CATALOGS

| Heather Retzlaff

BuyParker.com Take it home. Don’t steal it. That’s what the folks at Le Parker Meridien in New York are telling guests of the upscale hotel. In December

Trio agrees to buy Brookstone

| Mark Del Franco

Merrimack, NH-based cataloger/retailer Brookstone, which mails the Gardeners Eden, Hard-to-Find Tools, and Brookstone catalogs, announced on April 15

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

Negotiating a better parcel carrier contract

| Sherry Chiger

Now that postal rates are likely to be going up next year (see cover story), it’s more important than ever to negotiate or renegotiatiate your parcel-carrier

Sales gains come at a cost

| Mark Del Franco

The fourth quarter has always been considered the make-or-break quarter for catalogers. Happily, 77% of the publicly traded consumer merchants tracked

JH Partners takes stake in AmeriMark

| Mark Del Franco

JH Partners is at it again: On March 18 the San Francisco-based private equity firm bought 75% of AmeriMark Direct, a multititle mailer of women’s apparel,

DoubleClick To Be Acquired by Hellman & Friedman

| MCM staff

On April 25, New York-based DoubleClick has signed a definitive agreement to be acquired by San Francisco-based private equity firm for $8.50 in cash for each share or $1.1 billion. The transaction is expected to close in the third quarter.

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.