OrderTrust and Catalog City said the two companies will provide catalogers with the ability to sell products from the Catalog City Web site, which currently publishes more than 2,000 catalogs.
Catalog City will create the Web storefront and interactive marketing programs, while Lowell, MA-based OrderTrust will enable electronic
commerce activities by connecting merchants to the Catalog City site and
managing all order processing.
Financial arrangements were not disclosed.
Catalogers will be able to begin selling products on the Catalog City site by
mid-summer, the companies said.
Catalog City is developing a variety of consumer programs for the Web Site
that will be supported by OrderTrust, including: personal gift shopping, gift
registry, e-mail order status, loyalty rewards, and a “remind me” push system
that will allow customers to mark items for later purchase, then be reminded
by e-mail with a hyperlink to the catalog page.
Consumers will be able to browse and purchase from any number of catalogs
using a single virtual shopping cart. Catalog City in Mountain View, CA said
it anticipates more than 400 catalogers to be offering products for purchase
on the Catalog City site by fall 1998.
“Our long-term vision is to make every product on every page of every catalog
available for purchase through our site,” said Lee Lorenzen, president and CEO
of Catalog City. “In order to create a shopping site of this magnitude, we
have to make sure that our electronic commerce capabilities, and level of
customer service, are second to none. That is why we are partnering with
OrderTrust.”
OrderTrust provides integration with suppliers and distributors, enabling
merchants to manage their business across multiple company boundaries, monitor
vendor performance, and provide the highest level of customer service. Other
customers include
SkyMall Inc. and 1-800-FLOWERS Inc.