SkyMall bankruptcy and possible online disappearance surprises no one

SkyMall bankruptcy and possible online disappearance surprises no one

SkyMall catalogs will no longer be available on flights and travelers are not surprised by the news.

Time will go by slower on flights now that the SkyMall catalog company has declared bankruptcy. The company made a decision to suspend its print catalog operations as of Jan. 16.

SkyMall, a company that started operating in 1989, has fully suspended its retail catalog operation and laid off 47 of its 137 employees, according to court papers. Also, according to the bankruptcy filing from SkyMall’s owner Xhibit Corp, the fact that mobile devices and Internet access are now available on most airplanes pretty much doomed the catalog.

Acting CEO Scott Wiley still has high hopes that SkyMall can continue to exist as a more streamlined, online only shop. In a statement made on Friday, Wiley said that the company is “extremely disappointed” by the decision, and remain hopeful that the SkyMall brand and magazine can find a home in which they can to continue to operate. The bad news is that if a deal to sell is not reached there is the possibility that SkyMall will disappear for good. Currently, no buyer is lined up and an auction will be held on or about March 24. Wiley also mentioned that any sale of SkyMall’s assets will close in April.

In the 25 years that it has been in business, SkyMall has sold unusual products like a paper towel holder with USB ports, or a Darth Vader toaster. Ever since the news broke, the Internet has been flooded with jokes about the catalog and the products it offered.

For example, Ralph Beck made the following comment following the story on the Wall Street Journal: “SkyMall magazine was more a source of entertainment during long flights than an actual shopping catalog. Watching those oddball products was amusing and I always wondered who bought that stuff. The filing for bankruptcy answers that question.”

According to Wiley, the retail environment is to blame for the downfall of the quarterly publication. He went on to say that since people are using electronic devices such as IPads and Tablets on flights, less and less people are taking the time to browse through the SkyMall in-flight catalog. Due to the low readership and interest, the catalog had no chance to survive.

The SkyMall catalog used to be a publication that could be found in the seat pockets on domestic flights. Three of those flights are Delta, US Airways, and Southwest Airlines. All three airlines have ended their contracts with SkyMall. Delta Air Lines ended its SkyMall contract in November, and in December Southwest Airlines ended the partnership.

Richard Jaffe, a Stifel Nicolaus & Co., said that the issues faced by catalog businesses are similar to the daily challenges faced by brick-and-mortar retailers now that consumers have access to all kinds of online stores. He feels that the SkyMall catalog did not have a compelling identity.

Frequent flier Ricky Cadden, who is a travel industry digital marketer, said that he would miss browsing SkyMall on flights. He said that he and other travelers have come to expect to see a SkyMall catalog on airplanes, and love looking at the unique products that could only be found there.

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