CATALOGS -- Riding the e-Wave

"This was a strong year for catalogers in that we continued to see healthy consumer spending across their multiple channels of distribution. In an effort to capture additional sales, our catalog customers increased page counts and circulation," reports Zuccarini.

A recent GAMIS study entitled "The Future of Catalogs" found that, while catalogers maintained that over half of the purchases on their Websites came from existing customers from their paper catalogs, many have begun experimental mailings to new customers who purchased for the first time from their Website. Couple this with the movement of some e-retailers toward a paper catalog, as well as an online presence, and you have the makings of a very profitable relationship between the Internet and paper catalogs.