Catalogues Catalogues Newsletter - Issue 317

Hawkin’s Bazaar acquires Letterbox

Toys catalogue Letterbox is now part of the Hawkin’s Bazaar stable. Hawkin’s is a cataloguer/retailer of toys and novelties. Letterbox’s previous owner, Findel, had announced earlier this month that it would be closing both Letterbox and furniture title Cotswold Company. The company plans to relaunch the Letterbox website and produce a new print catalogue in time for the autumn/Christmas season.

Route One parent buys EBTM

Everything but the Music (EBTM) has been bought out of administration by TKC Direct, the owner of skate and urban apparel cataloguer/retailer Route One. A direct marketer of music-inspired fashion, EBTM fell into administration on 29th February. TKC will be relaunching the EBTM site later this month.

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Other news

Keep up-to-date with ECMOD on Twitter

ECMOD now is on Twitter and is the best way to keep up-to-date with the latest information about the show which is taking place at Earls Court on 7th & 8th October 2009. We'll be adding news of speakers, special offers & exhibitors daily. Visit http://twitter.com/ecmodshow to see our latest micropostings.

Red ink for Ideal Shopping

TV and online marketer Ideal Shopping Direct posted a 2-percent decline in annual sales, to £94.7 million for the year ended 28th December 2008. The company ended the year in the red, with a £13.2 million loss; the previous year it had reported profit of £5.2 million. In a statement, however, it noted that “2009 has begun with sales slightly ahead of our expectations”.

Ministry of Sound relaunches site

Dance-music brand Ministry of Sound has relaunched its website, two months after it was forced offline following the collapse of download supplier Trinity Street. Ministry of Sound built and maintains the new site in-house.

Asos beta-tests social network

Fashion etailer Asos is beta-testing its Asos Life online community. It promoted the soft launch exclusively on Twitter. The site offers blogs, forums, groups, and other social-networking features.

First-quarter sales decline at Redcats

First-quarter sales within PPR’s Redcats catalogue division were down 7.4 percent on a comparable basis from last year. Online sales rose 6 percent, to account for 45 percent of Redcats sales. In the UK, Redcats titles include La Redoute and Daxon.

Next month in Catalogue e-business

In the May issue of Catalogue e-business magazine: special focus on customer acquisition, plus online performance management, international expansion, getting the most from your warehouse, and more. Don’t miss out - subscribe today! Call Jill Sweet on 01271 866112 or email subs@catalog-biz.com. To advertise, call Jill Thorne on 01271 866112.

Catalogue Exchange Annual Summit – 3rd June

The Catalogue Exchange Annual Summit will be headlined by Don Libey. Taking place in the Council Chamber at Kensington Town Hall, the day will encompass member debate on current issues as well as in-depth discussion of key topics via hosted round tables. With just 170 places on offer the day will be a complete sell out by the end of the month. To find out more information visit www.catalogueexchange.co.uk or to book your place call Sam on 0871 855 5545. You can also follow Catalogue Exchange on Twitter http://twitter.com/catalogueex