A couple weeks ago, a potential buyer for the bankrupt inflight catalog SkyMall said he sees the future of the magazine as "free of kitsch," which is just a total buzzkill for all who turned to SkyMall for its ridiculous furniture, decor, and gadgetry. If that's you, here's some better news, that guy didn't get the deal. Last Friday, camera manufacturer and reseller C&A Marketing officially purchased the airline catalog with a winning bid of $1.9M. In a new interview with NPR, C&A Executive Vice President Chiam Pikarski sounds optimistic about SkyMall's relaunch. More importantly, he envisions preserving the kitsch: "Whatever we do with SkyMall, we'll always make sure we have some sort of Big Foot in there."
Pikarski says the company will immediately begin ramping up their product offerings, working towards a compelling inventory mix that's "cute, gimmicky, broad, relevant, priced well, engaging" all at the same time. He says that they would keep the absurd but also highlight a lot more of the "gimmicky, interesting products that actually solved real day-to-day problems," i.e. inflatable beds and storage solutions.
In any case, the return of SkyMall as we know it, a.k.a. print magazines in airplane setbacks, is uncertain—the company still has to meet with various airlines and figure out whether what had been a broken business model can be resuscitated. But the company certainly aspires to generating even greater exposure for SkyMall. Pikarski mentions airports, kiosks, hotel gift shops, and of course, a new mobile app.
· Still Need A Lawn Yeti? Good News — SkyMall May Be Cleared For Relaunch [NPR]
· Potential SkyMall Buyer Sees Its Future as 'Free of Kitsch' [Curbed National]
· As SkyMall Lies Dying, Here Are its 15 Decor Must-Buys [Curbed National]
· The World's Kitschiest Decor Company Keeps the All-American Garden Yeti Dream Alive [Curbed National]