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

By Melissa Sepos

“As an Internet retailer, one of the difficulties is finding customers. You acquire a customer for x number of dollars, but once you do, there’s the retention part of the model … In an online space you can send an e-mail, which is low cost,” compared to off-line, but it still can be a waste of money, says Sharples. “The real trick is getting qualified people to visit the site.”