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

By Melissa Sepos

The company completed its first catalog in three months. Because Garden.com has access to more than 2,000 stored photos, it can produce a catalog in much less time than traditional catalogers. All photographs for the Web site, the magazine and catalog are done with the other media in mind. Photographs are digital, allowing them to be altered fairly easily.