Catalogs, After Years of Decline, Are Revamped for Changing Times

In this digital age when filling a shopping cart requires little more than a click, the printed catalog keeps vying for a place on the coffee table. From Anthropologie to American Girl, Pottery Barn to Patagonia, retailers are still relying on direct mail even as they spend considerable resources on improving their websites to accommodate the steady increase in online shopping. Some of their catalog forays, however, barely resemble the traditional merchandise book. These days, retailers are employing devices like adventure tales and photo spreads of wildlife to catch shoppers’ eyes, hoping to secure purchases online or in-store.