10 trends to watch.

By Bill Spaide

5. Fulfillment outsourcing finally will gain a measure of industry acceptance.

In the past, the catalog industry hasn’t viewed the outsourcing of fulfillment operations as a viable operating alternative. Indeed, less than 5 percent of U.S. catalogers employ third-party fulfillment (3PF) suppliers.

This belief runs counter to conventional wisdom outside the catalog industry that posits outsourcing as one of the top strategies successfully employed by high-performing companies.