CATALOG Market -- Recovery Is a Custom Order

Banta's Deterding says he has seen an increase in the frequency of mailings, as well as some growth in page counts. Demographics and personalization have become the primary marketing drivers, he notes, which is leading to the production of more catalogs.

There are other factors—postage and distribution costs, in particular—that continue to undermine catalog growth. "We are positioning our services to reduce the impact of these factors through enhanced delivery services and the development of co-mailing strategies," he says.