Once upon time, before Amazon, there were…catalogs. The late 19th century ushered in the first nationally recognized mail order catalog: Sears, Roebuck & Company. From bicycles to organs, there was little one could not purchase from what came to be known as the “consumer’s bible.”
In a world which increasingly touts minimalism, reducing waste, and tiny houses, today’s catalogs are still going strong, most especially Lands’ End, Chico’s and Victoria’s Secret – the latter once landing itself in hot water (swim suit included) for sending out disparate pricing in catalogs based on the represented demographic of particular zip codes.
According to Nick Logge’s piece, Do Printed Catalogs Still Have a Place in Marketing in 2019?, we can continue to blame things on millennials – they like catalogs. “It’s because the current generation of millennials haven’t received a huge volume of promotional mail as the previous generations have,” Logge writes. “This gives the experience more emotional impact when they receive print marketing materials from a brand they know about.”
Additionally, statistics indicate the average consumer will spend nearly 16 minutes reading a catalog and then hang on to it to boot. So, print is not dead.
Here is a sampling of documents from companies utilizing catalogs on RealDealDocs:
Lands’ End
Amended and Restated Stock Plan
Chico’s
Chico’s Fas Inc Exh 31 Rule 13A-14(A)/15D-14(A) Certification