Craghoppers teams with Stanfords for concession
In what seems to be an ideal partnership, cataloguer Craghoppers, which specialises in travel apparel and accessories, has opened a concession in the flagship Covent Garden store of Stanfords, a retailer of travel books and maps.

Arcandor to seek government aid
Troubled German retailer Arcandor is likely to apply for state aid soon, according to published reports. In the meantime, it has postponed reporting of its half-year results by more than two weeks, to 29th May, “due to the restructuring of the group, the recently published consolidation programme, and the ongoing financing negotiations”, according to a statement. The company earlier warned that it would divest underperforming brands, though it has not stated which properties are at risk. Arcandor’s UK catalogues include fashion titles Afibel, Elegance, and Peter Hahn.

Matthew Williams goes transactional
Fashion label Matthew Williamson’s transactional website is scheduled to go live next week. Digital agency Pod1 designed and built the new site.

Flying Brands finance director resigns
Flying Brands group finance director Graham Norton has resigned, effective 31st May, “to join a FTSE 250 company,” according to the company. Group financial controller Anthony Gee will replace him.

Former Net-a-Porter chief to Radley
Sven Gaede, the former chief executive of Net-a-Porter, has joined luxury handbag brand Radley as chief executive. Radley, which has nine stores in the UK as well as an online arm, expects to report a 10-percent rise in sales for the fiscal year ending April 2009.

Top speakers confirmed for ECMOD2009 Conference
Taking place at Earls Court, London on 7th-8th October, this promises to be a great event for all involved. Speakers confirmed so far include, from the USA... Amy Africa, Michelle Farabaugh, Bill LaPierre, John Lenser, Ernie Schell & from the UK... Robert Colquhoun, Justin Metcalf, Alison Quill, Peter Sephton. The multi-track conference programme will be covering a vast range of topics geared to helping all b2b & b2c catalogue & multi-channel merchants to optimise business performance. Places are bookable by the day and include a special option for Catalogue Exchange members for the CatEx@ECMOD sessions. Email jenny@ecmod.com to receive full details of the programme as it progresses.

Have you booked your place for the Catalogue Exchange Summit?...Just 15 places remaining
If you haven’t booked your ticket for this event then don’t delay! The Annual Summit takes place on 3rd June in the Council Chamber of Kensington Town Hall. US strategist Don Libey is headlining the event and will encourage member debate on current market conditions and how best to trade through them. Call 0871 855 5545 to book your place or visit www.catalogueexchange.co.uk to find out more.

Coming Up in Catalogue e-business

• June issue: special focus on customer service, plus identifying sources of funding, what to look for in a web analytics provider, measuring lifetime value, and more.
• July issue: special focus on email, plus database hygiene, paper options, returns processing, and more. 
• August issue: special focus on customer retention, plus distribution and delivery, small-business spotlight, and more.