Movies Unlimited: Focus on Niche Cataloging

A Winning Strategy: Keep it Simple

Aside from the pure genius of Frebowitz in seizing a lucrative business opportunity ahead of its time (see below: “How a Hobby Became a Business”), much of the cataloger’s success can be attributed to its adherence to the old rule: Keep it simple.

At a time when many mail-order businesses are laying off employees, filing for bankruptcy and selling off credit-card divisions, Movies Unlimited is debt-free and growing its sales and housefile. It can afford to buy surplus inventory of movies that soon will be discontinued. And Weiss says the company doesn’t liquidate its stock and isn’t afraid to hold onto surplus inventory for a few years. “I know we’ll eventually sell it,” he says.