2005 CATALOG PRINTING Outlook -- Still Making the Sale

According to the "2004 Abacus Annual Catalog Industry Trend Report," only 43 percent of sales attributed to a catalog mailing were conducted through a catalog call center in the past year, with the remaining sales being recorded on Websites and in retail stores. Existing customers, in particular, are more likely to use a Website or store to complete purchases, with a third (33 percent) of their catalog-driven purchases occurring online and almost a quarter (24 percent) placed in a store.