As the digital age has made it easier and faster for retailers to connect with consumers, many retail companies have eased their foot on print advertising, promotions and marketing to step on the digital accelerator. With that change of pace, the idea of print catalogs has long dissipated.
Retailer JCPenney dropped their print catalog division in 2010, following the American shopper trend of going online. But, recently the company decided to resurrect their catalog, after an insightful learning that the print catalog actually led to more online sales.
After wrongly assuming that catalog shoppers would automatically switch to online purchasing, and peering deeper into data, JCPenney discovered that many online sales actually began when the customer was flipping through a catalog offline.
Thinking outside the box, or the traditional sense a catalog is utilized, the print catalogs are brought in as a branding tool. The rationale: they want customers to leaf through the pages, see something that they like, and visit the store or the website.
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Print magazines feature products to whet appetites, at the least, directing them to then visit retailer websites to order more online. In fact, management consultancy firm Kurt Salmon claims that 31 percent of shoppers use a print catalog when they shop online.
The investment into print is now being thought of as more of a branding tool that not only facilitates brand awareness, but propels online shopping.
Date: February 10, 2015