SkyMall: The Ultimate Catalog Business Model

On a flight from Seattle to Phoenix in 1989, Worsley found a tiny catalog in the seat pocket in front of him: Giftmasters—a rather offbeat product of Minneapolis-based travel conglomerate Carlson. The book contained low-end merchandise, such as fish ties, at prices that were 20 percent higher than retail. The reason: Carlson was giving the airlines a 20-percent commission on sales in return for circulating the catalog.