The Editor’s Take

Last year, Frederick’s was able to increase the size of its housefile 7 percent even though it cut circ 25 percent. It achieved this by making improvements in merchandising, creative and list hygiene.

Blue Over BlueSky
While I’m encouraged by Frederick’s approach to 2008, like many in the business, I was stunned, saddened and downright appalled by the collapse of BlueSky Brands. The North Kingstown, R.I.-based cataloger abruptly closed down in March, effectively shuttering the Paragon Gifts and Bits and Pieces catalogs, as well as books it produced for the nonprofit National Wildlife Federation and the Winterthur Museum. It also boarded up its AB&C Group catalog fulfillment business in Virginia, leaving many catalog clients scrambling for alternative ways to fulfill orders.