Increase Your Catalog Profits by Decreasing Your Selling Space

As consumers we all know what a catalog is. Personally, I was introduced to catalogs starting at a young age. My older sister and I often got into battles over who could view the American Girl doll catalog first. As we were both avid fans and collectors (my sister owned “Molly” and I myself had “Samantha”) of the new trinkets and clothing items that had come out for our little dolls. I remember vividly carefully earmarking the glossy pages of the catalogs filled with items that I positively NEEDED for Samantha.

What I have now…

Today, though I don’t receive the American Girl catalog any longer; my mail box is full of catalogs…well, what some would consider a catalog. Just yesterday I received a Patagonia “catalog.” Beautifully printed (kudos to Arandell!) the book was filled with images of waterproof shells, down jackets and other outdoor gear and apparel. There was, however, MORE than just merchandise. As each cover indicates, the catalog is filled with amazing images from around the world. Captions denote the location and credit the photographer and in some books, provide inspiring narrative for browsers. In fact, about 45% of the catalog consists of non-selling space. The photos, captions and tales not only reiterate Patagonia’s commitment to restoring the disappearing wild world they love so much, but they also inspire the readers to keep the catalog a bit longer. Angela Weidmann, Catalog Print Production Manager at Patagonia stated,

“Customers report that the captions for the image photos are the most-read copy in our catalogs…The editorial content does prompt customers to contact us regularly. They let us know they keep our catalog around the house for months or longer; some have collections dating back decades, and many have told us they savor reading our catalogs.”

Not sold on the customization theory? Read on…

In the July issue of deliver; a magazine for marketers, Sid Liebenson in the article, “Courting a Wary Customer,” encourages marketers to, “Mine your data to let customers know you understand what’s important to them.” By customizing the catalog not only are you able to enforce your brand image; you are also able to sell the VALUE of your product.

Throughout the trying times of ’08 and ’09 I have heard from so many analysts, “Don’t slash your prices, don’t slash your prices, and don’t slash your prices…” The thought being that sure, retailers will get a quick incline in sales, but in the long run customers are going to EXPECT the 75% off sale every time they shop. Analysts encourage retailers to instead, sell the value of their products. Let’s rewind to Patagonia. If I buy a jacket from Patagonia today, not only do I receive a jacket but I also know that I am improving and supporting the environment with my purchase (something that I value greatly.) Value allows consumers to justify paying the extra money for products.

In a nut shell.

Customizing, and maybe decreasing your sell space in your catalog can be a good thing. Not only will you be able to successfully brand your company, but you will also increase the shelf life of your catalog and portray the value of your company and products.

• Tags:
• catalog
• increase ROI

Leave a Reply

Click here to cancel reply.

Name (required)

Mail (will not be published) (required)

Website