Online Catalogs Continue to Grow: 1,463 New Online Catalogs According to "The National Directory of Catalogs"

NEW YORK, NY -- (MARKET WIRE) -- 04/13/06 -- The number of online catalogs jumped from 7,440 to 8,903 according to the 2006 edition of "The National Directory of Catalogs" ( www.mediafinder.com) released today. Online catalogs make up 78% of the 11,438 catalog listings, compared to only 60% last year, with 1,320 available only in online format -- double the 772 online-only catalogs in the previous year.

"While online catalogs are on the rise, marketers continue to find print catalogs a powerful tool for driving customers to their websites; and some catalogs that began online have added print versions, such as 'RugsUSA,'" said Deborah Striplin, Editorial Director of "The National Directory of Catalogs." "In addition, there is a rise in 'magalogs,' or catalogs that contain editorial content, such as 'Outdoor Republic' and 'Pulse.'"

Of the 225 subject categories in the 2006 edition of "The National Directory of Catalogs," the Books & Book Trade category has the most listings with 1008 catalogs in 2006. In addition to "Books," other popular catalog categories in 2006 include: Apparel & Accessories (750), Automotive (542), Education (513), Gardening & Horticulture (434), and Gifts & Greeting Cards (307).

Over the past ten years (1996-2006), the three categories showing the strongest growth are Automotive from 270 to 542, Education from 334 to 513, and Apparel & Accessories from 677 to 750 catalogs. In the same time period, the Computers & Automation category has decreased from 561 to 240.

Printers, paper brokers and other suppliers to the publishing industry use "The National Directory of Catalogs," with its up-to-date information on new catalogs and contact information, to find qualified sales leads based on detailed production information. Marketers use it to find prospect lists for both print and online sales, while merchandisers find valuable sales outlets.

"The National Directory of Catalogs," published by Oxbridge® Communications, is the largest directory of U.S. and Canadian catalogs with listings for 11,438 business and consumer catalogs. Catalog listings include address, phone, fax, URL (10,678 in this edition), and email (7,529 listed); names of owner, president and production manager; number and frequency of mailings; product line; print specifications, including trim size, page count, type of paper, binding, and color; name and address of printing company; list rental information and name and address of list management company.

Available immediately from Oxbridge Communications (www.oxbridge.com), or by calling 1-800-955-0231, "The National Directory of Catalogs 2006" is priced at $795 for the print edition; $1,095 for the Single-User CD and $1,695 for both print directory and CD. It is also available online as part of the MediaFinder ( www.mediafinder.com) online database service at $1,295 for a year's single-user subscription, $795 for a six-month subscription, and $49.99/month for the Keyword Search Service.

Oxbridge Communications, founded in 1964, has the largest database of U.S. and Canadian periodicals and catalogs. In addition to "The National Directory of Catalogs," Oxbridge has a broad range of reference products including: "The Standard Periodical Directory," "Oxbridge Directory of Newsletters," "The National Directory of Magazines" and www.MediaFinder.com, an online database of more than 70,000 publications, including catalogs.