Garden.com and other online retailers are changing direct marketing—including the look and function of the mail order catalog

By Melissa Sepos

The catalog’s job is to acquire qualified customers by using customer modeling, databases, co-ops and lists—all to reach targeted customers. A persistent problem for online retailers is that banners and affiliate marketing attract customers to sites but offer a low conversion rate.

“Was it the best thing we have done? No,” says Sharples about the catalog. “But it definitely was not the worst.”