Chempak takeover
Seed and plant cataloguer Thompson & Morgan has become the new owner of plant-food manufacturer Chempak. T&M says it plans to expand the availability of Chempak products at independent garden centres.

Administration threat for Reader’s Digest
The UK arm of global publisher and direct marketer Reader’s Digest is on the brink of collapse after a deal to reduce its £125 million pension deficit was blocked by the UK pension regulator. The firm has been producing books, magazines, music collections and videos for more than 70 years. US parent, Reader’s Digest Association Inc, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in August 2009.

New Look returns to stock exchange
Fashion retailer New Look is to return to the stock exchange after six years as a private company in a bid to raise £650 million. For the six months to 26th September 2009, New Look generated revenue of £706 million, and adjusted EBITDA of £117.8 million.

Online sales good news
Brits spend more online than anywhere else in Europe according to a new study from the Centre for Retail Research. Consumers in the UK represent a third of European sales and spent £38 billion online in 2009. Germans were the second highest spenders, with £29.7 million.

Findel sales up
Sales from continuing operations within Findel’s home shopping division were up 10 percent from the previous year for the 39 weeks ended 1st January. Among specific brands, sports gear etailer Kitbag enjoyed a rise in sales of more than 35 percent, though “trading conditions in Confetti and IWantOneofThose.com remain challenging”.
Sales within the education supplies division fell by 12 percent, while those within the healthcare group rose 1 percent.

ECMOD Awards - Sponsorship opportunities!
The prestigious annual ECMOD awards for outstanding business performance in 2009 are just around the corner – have you booked your table yet? If not, give our team a call now on 01271 866112. The event takes place at the Royal Lancaster Hotel in London on April 14th. To find out more about entries and the various sponsorship opportunities available , visit ecmod360.co.uk. The popular event aims to recognise the hard work, flair and commitment of businesses in the catalogue and multi-channel sector. Entries are welcome from single, dual and multi-channel enterprises of all sizes and at all stages of development. You can download the entry form here. 

This month in Catalogue e-business...

The February issue of Catalogue e-business hits desks this week. If you’re a subscriber, here's what you can expect:

• Special focus on catalogue design and branding, with case studies from some of the sector’s best and how to avoid “worst practice”
• A roundup of payment processing services to help you weigh up your options
• Ten predictions for online retail delivery in the months ahead
• Plus the latest news, a website review, Q&A with…, and much more.

If you don’t subscribe, you can click here to view a taster edition of the latest issue. But remember, the only way to read the magazine from cover to cover is to subscribe.

To have the print edition of Catalogue e-business magazine delivered to you, or for more information, contact Jill Sweet on 01271 866221 or subs@catalog-biz.com.

To sign up to receive the digital edition—and gain access to archive content on the Yudu library—please click here and follow the login instructions.

Missed the last issue? Click here to view January’s edition.