Findel Puts Cotswold Company and Letterbox Under Review

The fate of home furnishings catalogue The Cotswold Company and toys catalogue Letterbox is uncertain, according to an interim management statement from parent company Findel: “Trading conditions continue to be very difficult for The Cotswold Company and Letterbox… the ongoing viability of these two brands is being reviewed”. Findel’s total sales for the 44 weeks ended 6th February were down 3 percent from the same period of the previous year, and sales within its home shopping division were down 6 percent, although the company said its Kitbag.com sports apparel brand was doing well.

Findel previously confirmed that it is in the midst of a “rationalisation and consolidation process” and that “certain functions of Findel Direct have been merged with Express Gifts within the home shopping division”, though it declined to elaborate. The group’s home shopping division is organised into two divisions: the Express Gifts credit business, which includes the Studio and Ace general merchandise catalogues, and the Findel Direct unit, which includes gifts and gadgets marketer I Want One of Those as well as Cotswold Company, Kitbag, and Letterbox.

Freemans Grattan to Close Call Centre

Freemans Grattan Holdings has confirmed that it is closing its Bradford call centre; 800 jobs will be lost. Last month the cataloguer, whose titles include Oli and Kaleidoscope, admitted that its turnaround plan would result in “significant” job losses. For more on the company’s streamlining efforts, visit www.catalog-biz.com.

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Flying Brands chief executive resigns

After less than a year in the job, Tricia Killen has quit her role as the chief executive of multititle mailer Flying Brands. Her successor is Stephen Cook, a nonexecutive director of the company who has recently been acting as a consultant on multichannel retailing strategy.

Adams Rescued, Stylo May Be Too

History is repeating itself at childrenswear retailer Adams. John Shannon is acquiring the company’s brand, along with 120 stores, out of administration. He had bought Adams out of administration in February 2007, only to place it back into administration this past December.

Rescue plans are also under way for another retailer that’s fallen into administration, footwear merchant Stylo. Chairman and chief executive Michael Ziff is reportedly working with company directors on a management buyout plan that would include at least half of the company’s 385 Barratts and PriceLess stores. Stylo was placed into administration earlier this month, although the administrators had been called for both Barratts and PriceLess in late January.

Laura Ashley Issues Profit Warning

Laura Ashley has issued a profit warning for the year ended 31st January. The fashion and home goods cataloguer/retailer expects to post profit before taxation and exceptional items of £9 million, short of expectations. UK store sales fell 6.2 percent during the fiscal year, but online sales climbed 65.4 percent.

Websites Seek New Providers As Trinity Street Goes Bust

The collapse of download supplier Trinity Street has forced dance-music brand Ministry of Sound and rock band Orson to temporarily close their ecommerce websites. Another Trinity Street client, rock band Oasis, has relaunched its ecommerce site via its previous ecommerce provider, Record Store.

Asos and Waitrose Get Social

Outdoor Scene in Administration

Coming up in Catalogue e-business magazine:

ECMOD Awards Entry Deadline fast approaching!

The ECMOD Awards trophies are gleaming. Final tweaks are being made to the Awards Evening programme. Our celebrity presenter is primed. The band is booked. And the expert independent adjudicators are standing by to carefully judge the entries.

The deadline for entries is now just under two weeks away – Friday 27th February. Don’t forget there is no entry fee thanks to the generous support of Citipost. Remember too that all companies reaching the shortlist will receive a complimentary ticket enabling a team member to represent them at the ECMOD Gala Presentation Evening on 2nd April at The Royal Lancaster Hotel, West London.

With categories for both B2B and B2C marketers, the ECMOD Awards welcome entries from single, dual and multi-channel enterprises at all stages of development and of all sizes. To coin a phrase, it could very well be you and your team in the spotlight, but the only way to be in with a chance of taking home the accolade is to enter. Click here to download an entry form.

Tickets to this prestigious event cost £165+ vat each, tables of ten £1650 + vat. Call Jenny or Sarah on 01271 866112 to book your places now.

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