Why Some Retailers are Returning to Physical Catalogs

Just a few days ago, I received this year's Amazon Kids Gift Book in the mail. It's something I have received for the past few years and every year, I marvel at how well-executed the catalog is. I do not have children, but I do have children in my life I buy holiday gifts for. For me, the catalog is a great jumping off point for gift ideas. For those with children, the gift book includes fun activities and stickers, upping its value even further and encouraging the recipient to spend more time with the book.

Not only does the Amazon gift book include more than 700 toys and gifts, it includes stickers (pictured) and other activities for children, such as "connect the dots" and a scavenger hunt.

Recently, ASI published an article exploring the "Triumphant Return of Physical Catalogs." It notes that companies, such as Amazon, are investing in printed catalogs not just as a nod to nostalgia, but as a viable means of enhancing customer engagement and driving sales.

"What’s old is almost always new again – and print catalogs are indeed coming back around," Hannah Rosenberger, data analytics editor at ASI, says in the article.

It's for good reason catalogs are gaining traction, ASI points out:

A Harvard Business Review study sent out catalogs to thousands of U.S. customers with one e-commerce retailer. They found that those who received both physical catalogs and email marketing purchased 24% more than those who just received emails – and the ROI for catalogs was even higher for customers categorized as “physical-prone,” meaning that they made most of their purchases in-store.

Particularly for those who favor a non-digital approach, then, catalogs can make a powerful impact.

Could this be an opportunity for print service providers to work more closely with brands to relaunch printed catalogs?

To read the full analysis, check out the article here.