In my house, the use of paper has become exceedingly rare. When my kids do homework these days, it’s mostly on a laptop or Chromebook.
And while I can appreciate a clutter-free kitchen table that isn’t stacked with papers, seeing the way my kids function makes me nostalgic for a time when life wasn’t quite so high tech.
In fact, one of my favorite memories as a kid was getting retail catalogs in the mail. They came often during the year, and I’d enjoy looking at pages of toys, clothing, and, once I got a little older and into that sort of thing, cookware.
These days, I don’t get many catalogs, so my kids aren’t used to having them around.
But when a holiday catalog arrives in the mail, it’s something my kids tend to get really excited about. It’s enough, in fact, to get them to put down their devices for at least a few minutes and get inspiration for their holiday lists.
The reality, though, is that catalogs have largely become obsolete these days. But for retailers that send them out, they can do a world of good.
The upside of physical catalogs
In an era when many of us are accustomed to conducting business digitally, producing catalogs may seem like a waste of retailers’ resources. In reality, though, catalogs tend to inspire customers to think outside of their usual purchases.
Of course, one could argue that walking the aisles of a store achieves the same effect.
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But the reality is that many customers are shopping online these days. So they’re not necessarily getting to enjoy the in-store treasure hunt experience so many retailers offer.
Americans’ online spending totaled $1.34 trillion in 2024, according to Capital One Shopping. And 84.3% of Americans shop online.
Online purchases, by nature, don’t tend to inspire impulse or outside-the-box buys the way in-store purchases do, which means many retailers may be missing out. Investing in catalogs is a great way to showcase new inventory and get customers excited about purchases they may not have originally intended to make.
Walmart makes a smart investment in catalogs
Many people remember the iconic Sears catalog in all of its glory, and the many pages of products it would highlight.
Walmart isn’t quite going there. But more recently, it’s been experimenting with physical catalogs as a way to show off its range of inventory.
In August, Walmart published a fall catalog that highlighted products such as:
- Furniture
- Home decor
- Appliances
- Kitchenware
And while the data may not be out on whether that catalog led to an uptick in sales in the categories it featured, it’s fair to say that it was a smart move on the part of the big-box giant – despite the cost of producing it.
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“Paper catalogues are expensive but can be effective if they are extremely targeted by customers based on demographics and category,” says retail analyst Bruce Winder. “Some categories respond better with paper catalogues such as toys where the consumer purchase process involves sitting with kids to review.”
Winder notes that Amazon has used this strategy effectively for several years, and so has Target. He also points out that catalogs can be more effective than emails because they sit out in plain sight, whereas emails tend to get deleted, filed away, or ignored.
Retail expert and co-editor-in-chief at The StreetDan Kline agrees that catalogs could be a real opportunity for Walmart.
“Back in the 1980s, kids used to look forward to the Toys R Us catalog to make holiday gift lists,” says Kline. “Target has had some success in recent years doing the same with toys. Maybe Walmart can build on that with adults?”
Plus, the reality is that catalogs have a way of showing off products in a way stores can’t.
“The home catalog helps show a more aspirational side of Walmart in a way that is hard to accomplish in stores — even newer ones. So, this hits a lot of different notes,” retail expert Neil Saunders told RetailWire.
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