Thinking Outside the Box

Additional editorial. The much talked-about “magalog” may be an alternative format for print catalogs, but it’s the standard for the Web. Because the Internet developed first as a medium for information exchange, and second as a commercial channel, many browsers visit sites looking for information. The cataloger’s mission is to attract these info-seekers and convert them into buyers with good merchandising. For example, extensive gardening and horticulture how-tos at Garden Escape (www.garden.com) bring research-seeking gardeners to the site; then specials woo them to buy.