Why your favorite catalogs are smaller this holiday season

Maine’s Portland (AP) They made the catalogs smaller, honey.

Customers might note that the printed gift suggestions that arrive in their mailboxes are smaller, even though companies are hoping to go big this holiday season.

In fact, many of the millions of catalogs that were sent to American homes were reduced in size to save money on paper and postage, leading to pint-sized versions. Smaller editions are used by gift sellers such as Hammacher Schlemmer, Duluth Trading Company, and Lands End. Postcards are helping some companies save even more money.

Portland, Maine-based tech-savvy internet buyer Lisa Ayoob was taken aback by the size of a recent catalog she got from the outdoor clothing brand Carbon2Cobalt.

She claimed that, in comparison to a catalog, it nearly felt like a pamphlet.

As technology and customer behavior have evolved over time, catalogs have undergone a gradual recalibration. When websites were able to do the same, the bulky, hefty Sears and J.C. Penney catalogs that brought store displays into American living rooms became thinner and were replaced with targeted mailings. The most recent move to smaller formats was sped up by recent rises in postal rates.

The trade group, formerly known as the American Catalog Mailers Association, estimates that between 2006 and 2018, the quantity of catalogs mailed annually decreased by around 40%, with an estimated 11.5 billion being mailed to households. In May, the Washington-based organization changed its name to the American Commerce Marketing Association to reflect a broader focus, reflecting the times.

However, don’t expect catalogs to become extinct just yet. In the age of e-commerce, they have managed to stay relevant despite dire forecasts. Retailers discovered that they could use fewer-page catalogs as a marketing tool and add QR and promo codes to encourage buyers to browse online and finish their purchases.

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Catalogs are expensive to create and transport, even though they don’t carry a large inventory of goods anymore. However, industry leaders claim that they are equally valuable due to rising digital advertising expenses, which help businesses cut through the clutter for customers inundated with multi-format ads.

In a surprising turn of events, well-known online retailers like Amazon and home goods vendor Wayfair began sending out brochures in recent years. In 2018, Amazon started shipping a catalog of toys. Sears, which began producing a yearly Christmas Wish Book Wish in 1933, declared bankruptcy in the same year.

This year, clothing company J. Crew redesigned its glossy catalog, which is good news for those who want printed material.

Consumers are more impacted by the tactile experience of perusing a catalog, according to research, according to Colorado State University marketing professor Jonathan Zhang.

Our human brains haven’t developed as quickly as computers and technology over the last ten to twenty years, which is why these paper formats work so well. When we read anything on paper, we remember it better. According to Zhang, this is why paper books are still useful. Three-dimensional, tactile experiences are more memorable, according to psychology.

However, Zhang said that since the goal of catalogs nowadays is merely to attract clients’ attention, pint-sized displays can still be effective. According to him, younger customers who are concerned about the environmental effects of the holiday shopping season are also more receptive to paper conservation.

Changes are being accelerated by postal increases. The category with the 8.5-by-11-inch size that was once common for the catalog industry was included in the most recent round of postage increases in July.

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According to Paul Miller, executive vice president and managing director of the American Commerce Marketing Association, several merchants replied by shrinking their catalogs and placing them in a lower-cost letter category. One size is 10.5 by 5.5 inches and is referred to as a slim jim. However, there are different sizes. By sending customers huge postcards, some shops have further cut expenses.

To complement its conventional catalogs, Lands End, for example, is trying new smaller forms. Along with various formats, this year’s offerings featured folded glossy brochures and postcards, according to Chief Transformation Officer Angie Rieger.

Ayoob, a resident of Maine, stated that although she no longer like the format, she can see why retailers continue to utilize catalogs. Instead of looking through printed pages to find things, she now likes to shop online.

Eyeballs are desired by all. According to Ayoob, who worked in department shops and the wholesale sector for 35 years, there are a lot of websites and brands out there.

The idea of targeting clients at home is not new.After its creator advertised his well-known Maine Hunting Shoe to out-of-state hunting license holders in 1912, L.L. Bean became a trailblazer of the mail-order catalog. For the time being, the Freeport, Maine-based outdoor apparel and equipment company will continue to mail out standard-sized catalogs.

According to L.L. Bean representative Amanda Hannah, the catalog became an icon in and of itself by presenting our idols. The catalog continues to have a strong relationship with our brand despite our increased investment in digital and brand marketing channels. As such, it is a crucial component of our omni-channel strategy, particularly for our devoted clientele.

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