10/05/06 Mail order beef

Mail Order Beef Mail order items may be making a comeback. I'm Jeff Keane; I'll be right back after this to talk about mail order. At different times in American history mail order has been big business. Everyone knows about mail order catalogs and all the items presented in page after page. I was recently in a very fine older home that was built using plans purchased from a Sears-Roebuck catalog. I've even seen older publications that featured larger, mail order farm equipment. Of course, there was also the old novel and movie stand-bythe mail order bride. Well, I said mail order may be making a comeback and most of you will say of course it is, or a form of mail order anyway called E-bay. That's not what I'm talking aboutit's an item I usually don't think about as a mail order productit's meat. The National Mail Order Association says that mail order meat sales have grown by about 9% each year since 1998. Given there were only approximately 95 businesses that sold meat and fish by mail at that time, there may be only about172 businesses at this time that provide the service, but it is an increase. John Shulte, president of the National Mail Order Association thinks mail order meat will have a big future in the high-end arena and as gifts or rewards. Attractions of mail order meat are convenience, selection, quality, better product description, and fast shipping. Hey there's an early Christmas gift suggestionbuy, ship, and give beef. I'm Jeff Keane. Wallace Farmer September 2006