SkyMall: The Ultimate Catalog Business Model

According to Bill McCoy, director of trading partner sales for SkyMall, the catalog receives as many as 30 to 40 calls a week with requests to include merchandise in the catalog, often from start-up entrepreneurs who have one or two items.

Guys operating out of a suitcase need not apply. To be considered, a new merchant must have a proven, efficient order fulfillment system in place, impeccable financial credentials and have a product that doesn’t directly compete with one of SkyMall’s 200 active trading partners. With 10 years of experience, the SkyMall merchandising team has a good fix on what does—and does not—work in this non-traditional catalog to this unique audience. What’s more, McCoy’s team will give new catalogers realistic sales projections on a SKU-by-SKU basis. If SkyMall decides to give a non-cataloger a shot with a single SKU, a single page can be purchased for $25,000 a month with a three-month minimum.