Catalogue firms join forces for new trade body
Over 100 catalogue owners are forming their own trade association in an attempt to improve standards of training and support within the catalogue industry.
The new body, called the Catalogue Exchange, may also be used to challenge the DMA (UK) on the issue of size-based pricing.
Although negatively received by the majority of the direct marketing industry, Royal Mail’s new pricing proposals are set to improve the lot of niche cataloguers by reducing their costs.
The Catalogue Exchange, which is also expected to develop into a list- swapping forum, will launch at this week’s ECMOD exhibition. It will be free to all members and is being pitched as a ‘catalogue co-operative’ by its founder, First Resource chairman Nigel Swabey.
“There is no training ground for cataloguers and nowhere to develop technological expertise,” explains Swabey. “Between 12 and 14 catalogues went bust this year and perhaps the reason is that they didn’t have the know-how to keep going.”
Copyright: Centaur Communications Ltd. and licensors
Copyright 2002 Centaur Publications. Source: Financial Times – Europe Intelligence Wire.
