*DMA to Debut Major Catalog Study in Fall
BOSTON--The Direct Marketing Association is compiling its first-ever major study of the U.S. catalog industry's financial, marketing, merchandising and operating standards, H. Robert Wientzen, president and CEO, announced June 2 during the opening general session at the 15th Annual Catalog Conference & Exhibition here."The 'DMA State-of-the-Catalog Industry Report: 1998' will provide industrywide objective criteria from a broad sampling, enabling consumer and business-to-business catalog executives to compare their performance with industry standards," Wientzen said.
The study, conducted in cooperation with W.A. Dean & Associates, San Francisco, will be presented at the DMA Catalog Management Issues Weekend on Oct. 10-11. It will build upon industry information collected and published annually since 1993 by W.A. Dean and Associates. The report will include an updated financial analysis by the WEFA Group, forecasts of the industry's merger and acquisition trends by Gruppo, Levey and Capell Inc. and an update of catalog consumer trends by consultant Katie Muldoon, president of Muldoon and Baer.
