Retail Trade Body Rebrands to Reflect Growing Diversity of Direct Commerce Sector

Thursday, 7 July 2011

Catalogue industry trade body the Catalogue Exchange has announced it is to rebrand with a new name and logo, to reflect the major growth of the multi-channel sector.

The not-for-profit organisation is to become the ‘CatEx Direct Commerce Association’.  The rebranding will also see CatEx replace its existing logo with a new, clean and modern design.

The decision to change the name of the trade body was taken by CatEx’s Advisory Board, in response to the surge in interest in multi-channel commerce.  According to CatEx deputy chairman Tim Curtis, the new name has been essential to ensure the association represents the diverse nature of its member companies. 

Tim, Managing Director, Northern Europe, of apparel cataloguer Lands’ End, says:  "Over the last few years the Catalogue Exchange has become much more than a forum to exchange ideas among catalogue companies.  We have effectively become a trade association for small and medium size businesses which sell direct to consumers or to other businesses via a growing number of channels, especially online.  So, it's timely to make it clearer what we stand for. ‘CatEx’ is a nod to our heritage, the ‘Direct Commerce Association’, a commitment to our future."

Tony Adams, CatEx board member and Creative Director at design agency TA Design, says: “We decided to shorten the title from Catalogue Exchange to CatEx as this has three clear advantages. Firstly, it’s what people call CatEx already. Second, in our omni-channel marketplace, it frees us from the apparent exclusive focus on print, of the word Catalogue. Thirdly, it avoids any potentially misleading connotations of the word Exchange.”

The rebrand will be rolled out over the coming weeks. The CatEx website address will also be changing to reflect the association’s new identity. It will shortly become www.catexdca.org.uk.

CatEx is now in its eighth year and currently represents more than 220 companies in the catalogue and online retail community.  Its aim is to nurture the sector’s businesses and people, by providing valuable networking opportunities, representing members on key industry issues, securing preferential rates on key goods and services, and providing cost effective and specific training support through its national and regional events.

- ENDS –

For further information and interview opportunities, please contact:

Naomi Dymond, CatEx Head of Communications
Email: naomi@catalogueexchange.co.uk / Tel: 0871 8555 545

ABOUT CATEX DIRECT COMMERCE ASSOCIATION
CatEx is the first trade body of its kind in the UK to be established with the specific aim of supporting businesses in all areas of the catalogue and online retail community. It was set up eight years ago by business owners who felt their interests were not fairly represented and who wanted to give themselves and others in the industry a voice. The organisation primarily exists to facilitate vital networking between its members. It currently has more than two hundred and twenty client-side and supplier-side companies on board, including Scotts & Co, Boden, Lands' End, Joules Clothing, House of Bath, Handpicked Collection, Royal Mail and Abacus. For more information please visit www.catexdca.org.uk.

ABOUT THE CATEX ADVISORY BOARD
The CatEx advisory board consists of 13 volunteers, elected by the CatEx members themselves. They are:

Nigel Swabey – Chairman of Swindon-based Scotts & Co (CatEx President)
Dara O’Malley - Managing Director of Bath-based House of Bath – (CatEx chairman)
Tim Curtis - Managing Director of Rutland-based Lands’ End – (CatEx deputy chairman)
Graham Winn - Director and Co-owner of Geurnsey-based Flowercard
Anne Walker MBE – CEO of Devon-based International Dance Supplies
Heather Gorringe – Chairman of Hereford-based Wiggly Wigglers
Martin Harvey - Managing Director of Cambridgeshire-based Marshalls Garden Catalogues
Paul Cunningham - Managing Director of Warminster-based Aspace
Mark Wilby - Operations Director of Middlesex-based Nauticalia
Wayne Parrott – Surrey-based Business Development Manager of Royal Mail
Matthew Pepper - Country Director of London-based Abacus
John Ellis - Sales Director of Loughborough-based Sunline Direct Mail
Tony Adams - Creative Director of Hove-based TA Design