Strategy: Circulation Planning

There are catalog buyers, a variety of Internet buyers, multichannel buyers, nonbuyers, etc. Knowing which groups to mail and how often makes circ planning more complex. Typically, 10 percent to 15 percent or more of orders or sales aren’t generated by the print catalog. Many of those shoppers are one-time buyers. Some continue to make purchases only from the Web site and aren’t influenced by the catalog. Mailing these buyers simply increases your direct selling expenses and the ratio that’s critical to profitability. The Internet shift is making it more difficult to plan.