Catalog Circulation

In a follow-up to a recent blog post from the American Catalog Mailers Association (ACMA) titled Now's the Time for All Catalogers to Have Fine-Tuned Matchback Programs, comes results from the ACMA's Catalog Matchbacks Survey.

In what seems like a generation ago — before the internet — catalog orders came in one of two ways: via the mail or phone. Source code capture rates of 85 percent were the norm and it was easy to read the results from each mailing list. Then along came the internet and measuring catalog response rates became complicated. The percentage of online orders continues to grow, making the attribution of orders very complicated. Consumers receive catalogs, emails, online ads and many more advertisements. Knowing which marketing vehicle should get credit for an order is a challenge.

NBC Universal Television Consumer Products Group and The Johnson Smith Company has announced that the February issue of Johnson Smith’s “Things You Never Knew Existed” catalog will feature a two-page spread comprised of hilarious items that are inspired by the popular NBC show, “Outsourced.”

Aeropostale's comparable store sales for January have been better than most peers in the teen segment, though room certainly exists for improvement. The company's comparable store sales for the month increased by a modest 1 percent while net sales for the month increased by 7 percent, largely driven by growth in its internet and catalog orders.

J.C. Penney announced a series of actions designed to build on its accomplishments and focus on its highest potential growth opportunities. They include the wind down of its catalog and outlet operations, closing certain underperforming store locations, and streamlining its call center operations.

The USPS filed for an inflation-based rate increase that, if approved by the Postal Regulatory Commission, will take effect on April 17. The overall increase reflects the current 1.741 percent CPI cap. As they did in last year’s rejected exigency rate case filing, catalogs fared better than most.

Lands' End is changing the way customers shop via digital catalogs from their iPads and iPhones. The company announced the launch of its next-generation digital catalogs via an app.

As a child the holidays started at our house — at least in my imagination — not in December but in November. That's when the FAO Schwarz toy catalog arrived. It's hard now, in this age when everything, at least virtually everything related to commerce and consumption, is only a click or two away to conceive of a time when one's dreams were funneled through the United States Postal Service.

After discontinuing its Big Book catalogs last year, J.C. Penney has decided to exit the rest of its traditional catalog business as e-commerce sales overshadow its direct mail channel. The retailer confirmed that it's notified suppliers that it will stop publishing its remaining dozen specialty catalogs next year.

As an online marketer, I want to thank Mr. Postmaster General and the honorable members of the Postal Regulatory Commission. I cannot wait until you raise postage rates come January. Now some people may not agree with me, but I applaud your efforts to consistently raise postage rates.