Catalog Doctor: Intense, Competitor Analysis

FOUR: Get on and Stay on Competitors’ Mailing Lists

If you order regularly — e.g., two to three times a year — you get mailed regularly. But for a Tier 2 or Tier 3 competitor, you may not want to order (regularly).

So, as soon as its mailings drop off, request a catalog again. When it arrives, write the date received on it. Then either enter it on an ongoing spreadsheet or dump the catalog in a bin for later data-batch entry. Staying on mailing lists means you’ll always have the latest catalogs on hand, plus you’ll gain insight into mailing patterns.