Ed Note - By the Numbers

By Donna Loyle

This month we bring to the industry the results of an extensive Catalog Success study that identified the top 200 catalogers as measured by recent housefile-growth rates.

While we didn't find any broad trends — such as a spike among catalogers selling lower-priced items, as might be expected in a soft economy — we did uncover a few minor trends worth noting. For instance, you'll find a fair number of catalogs that sell primarily products for the home, children and pets. We think this confirms the notion that many people turned to family and home after Sept. 11, 2001.