Weighing In on the Catalog Co-op Databases '06

Such SKU-level data allows Prefer Network to "select names differently," Platt says, giving the co-op the ability to use the same models as other co-ops to select more unique names, sometimes as high as 60 percent net unique names after the merge.

Merchandise data also provides the fuel for DecisionMate, a proprietary research tool that Prefer Network debuted earlier this year. DecisionMate allows catalogers to understand what their customers are buying when they aren't buying from them, Platt says. Showing both market share and wallet share, DecisionMate helps marketers determine in which product categories their catalog is strong, which categories they have room to grow in, and in which categories they potentially could scale back.