Catalog Printing--An Evolving Market Thrives

Life may be sweet at, or near, the top for large printers, but 1999 meant a year of mixed results for many catalogers, according to Susan McIntyre, president of McIntyre Direct, a catalog consulting firm based in Portland, OR. For the most part, she says, those who did their homework thrived.

"Many small- to mid-sized catalogers who carefully studied their marketplace, and excelled at targeting their brand and merchandise to their audience, did extremely well," she says. "But some, often larger, catalogers who didn't track changing markets, and kept offering the same old thing, saw weaker results and pulled back. I'd say 1999 wasn't a license to earn money or to lose it—results depend on merit."