Chief Marketer Staff

• DARK DAYS FOR DIRECT MARKETERS

  The Direct Marketing Association’s Fall 2002 Quarterly Business Review found that 60 percent of members reported revenue and billings through the third

• Companies Said to Approve Simplified Tax Plan

  Despite opposition from the Direct Marketing Association, a coalition of companies has approved a plan to streamline state tax laws and enter into a pact to collect online sales taxes.

• FLAME OUT FOR BURGER KING?

  The $2.26 billion sale of Miami-based Burger King to a consortium of U.S. capital firms has hit a major bump in the road. BK’s parent, London-based Diageo,

• Tiffany Reports 11% Rise in DM Sales

  Direct marketing sales held their own at Tiffany & Co. during the third quarter. DM revenue rose by 11% to $37 million, compared with the same period

• Sears Stock Plummets After Rating Downgrade

  Shares of Sears, Roebuck and Co. stock fell almost 11% to $20.33 after an analyst cut his investment rating on the firm, according to wire service reports.

• DIRECT Listline

  CMP

• Environmental Group Blasts Catalogers Over Paper Use

  Most U.S. catalogers, including those that cater to an outdoor audience, are not using recycled paper, according to a new report. And there hasn

• Tiffany Reports 11% Rise in DM Sales

  Direct marketing sales continued their upward curve at Tiffany & Co. during the third quarter. They rose by 11% to $37 million, and combined Internet/catalog sales went up by 19% compared with the same period last year.

• Wine.com Launches Print Book

  (Catalog Age) San Francisco-based Wine.com is no longer an online-only purveyor of wines. The eight-year-old company, originally named Virtual Vineyards,

• A Visit From St. Ridiculous

  ’Twas the night before Christmas, and all of my mail Couldn’t be less convincing to create a sale. And ridiculous e-mails, repulsive to see, Still aren’t as repulsive as spots on TV. The worst of the lot are commercials by Dell, Whose product is good but whose TV spots smell.