Lessons from the old school
Seen not that long ago as a relic of a bygone era, printed catalogs are making a comeback with a digital twist this Christmas, reports Advertising Age.
Sears and other retailers are revitalizing the catalog format, but in a stripped down fashion, with more emphasis on the web.
The Sears book, for instance, is down from 700 to just 188 pages, with a focus on selling not one product but a whole look, with photos of fully furnished rooms.
Items also sport identifiers for use for ordering over the phone or online.
The shift by retailers comes as they adjust for over-compensation made years ago when industry leaders thought online would become the end-all-be-all.
Consumers actually missed the catalogs and apparently do find value in them. Even pure web plays, like eBay, are creating printed books.
40 percent of retailers said they plan to increase the focus on catalogs next year. 66 percent say how the books impact online sales will be at least one of the measures of success.
