Consolidation and You

And what about the consolidation — or better put, the "infoUSA-lidation" — taking place in the list business? Having first acquired Walter Karl in 1997, then Edith Roman Cos. in 2004, Millard Group last year and Mokrynskidirect in June, infoUSA has allowed these firms to continue doing what they've done best. List prices at these companies haven't shot up, while the hand-holding nature of these customer-focused businesses has remained intact. Despite heading on a near-monopoly path (which list firm will be added to its shopping cart next?), infoUSA has acted responsibly and kept these companies' catalog customers' best interests in mind.

So for now, focus on consolidation within the catalog business. A closer eye on the competition is crucial — otherwise, this wave of catalog consolidation could prove deadly.

—Paul Miller, Editor in Chief

(914) 669-8391

pmiller@napco.com