Strategy: 15 Best Practices When Using Cooperative Databases

Since the founding of cooperative database Abacus by Tony White in 1990, consumer prospecting has changed considerably. While results may have fallen off (mailing the same names too often), co-ops remain an important source of prospect names for catalogers.

When deciding whether to participate in a co-op, know that at least 95 percent of your customers already reside in one of the myriad co-op database files. What’s more, buyers on your housefile who haven’t made a purchase from another catalog aren’t retained by the co-op. (These are your unique buyers, and they’re not used for modeling or rental by the co-op.)