Religion and Auto Catalogs Jump in Number From 2004 to 2008 According to The National Directory of Catalogs

10,543 Online Catalogs in 2008


NEW YORK CITY, NY--(Marketwire - April 16, 2008) - In the catalog industry, the number of religion catalogs experienced major growth, jumping from 205 to 329 (60.5% growth), in the last five years, according to the 2008 edition of The National Directory of Catalogs (www.mediafinder.com) released today. At the same time, automotive catalogs increased from 389 to 593 (52.4%), and education catalogs from 400 to 528 (32%), during the same time period. The National Directory of Catalogs features information on 12,230 catalogs in the 2008 edition, compared to 10,668 catalogs in the 2004 edition.

In 2008, the category with the most listings in The National Directory of Catalogs was Books, with 1,156 catalogs, up from 1,071 in 2004, followed by Apparel, with 819 catalogs, up from 711.

"The catalog industry continues to be strong in 2008, particularly in the top 10 categories of Books, Apparel, Automotive, Education, Gardening, Gifts, Food, Religion, Home and Sports," said Trish Hagood, president of Oxbridge Communications, publisher of the The National Directory of Catalogs. "And, online catalogs continue to grow, with 1,868 online-only catalogs and 10,543 print-and-online catalogs listed in the 2008 directory."

Over the past five years the three catalog categories showing major decline are manufacturing, computers, and crafts.

Printers, paper brokers and other suppliers to the publishing industry use The National Directory of Catalogs to find qualified sales leads based on detailed production information. Direct marketers use it to find new sources for list rentals and librarians use it for reference and business patrons.

The National Directory of Catalogs, published by Oxbridge® Communications, is the largest directory of U.S. and Canadian catalogs with listings for business and consumer catalogs. Catalog listings include address, phone, fax, URL, email, and more. Available immediately from Oxbridge Communications (www.oxbridge.com), or by calling 1-800-955-0231, The National Directory of Catalogs 2008 is priced at $945 for the print edition; $1,095 for the Single-User CD and $1,995 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.

NATIONAL DIRECTORY OF CATALOGS - FIVE YEAR TRENDS

Top 10 Categories       2008    2004   % Increase 2004-2008
-----------------      ------  ------  --------------------

Books -                 1,156   1,071           7.9
Apparel -                 819     711          13.8
Automotive -              593     389          52.4
Education -               528     400          32.0
Gardening -               422     334          26.3
Gifts -                   358     300          19.3
Food -                    332*     27          21.2
Religion -                329*    205          60.5
Home -                    317*    284          11.6
Sports -                  312*    270          15.6

*The Food, Religion, Home, and Sports categories on the 2008 Top Ten List above replaced the Manufacturing, Computers, Crafts, and Office categories on the 2004 Top 10 List below.

Top 10 Categories       2004    2008   % Decrease 2004-2008
-----------------      ------  ------  --------------------

Books -                 1,071   1,156
Apparel -                 711     819
Manufacturing -           469*    244         (48.0%)
Education -               400     528
Automotive -              389     593
Gardening -               334     422
Computers -               313*    227         (27.5%)
Gifts -                   300     358
Crafts -                  298*    227         (23.8%)
Office -                  296*    257         (13.2%)

Contact Information: For more media information, contact: Lisa Hendrickson LCH Communications 516-643-1642