BY KATIE MULDOON
Why do folks buy from catalogs? Why don't more do the same? This edited selection of focus group comments gives us some clues.
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My local retailer is just down the street. OK, it only takes like a few minutes to pop down the street and find what I want. Oh yeah, there might be a little traffic and some parking problems — not to mention that there never seems to be anybody in the store to help me find what I'm looking for, so I wander all over the place wasting valuable time. Hmmmm. How come nobody in catalog land ever reminds me about this?
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My local retailer has ongoing sales. Whatever I want I can find on sale. OK, maybe it's a cold day in Hades if they have my size left — and this I learn after sorting through billions of racks of seriously ugly stuff. All right, maybe orange isn't the perfect color of glassware to go with my china and the rest of my décor. And sure, some of the clothing's quality may be a little ‘off,’ and it disintegrates in the washer after the first wash. Hmmmm. How come nobody in catalog land ever says anything about this?
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I know my local retailer. Well, I did before they left. And I knew that one before ABC Conglomerate bought them. I mean, who are you mail order people after all? Oh yeah, I've heard of L.L. Bean and Harry & David. You mean there's an organization — the Direct Marketing Association — that reputable catalog companies, maybe a little less known but just as trustworthy, belong to? What do you mean you carry the seal of membership in the organization on your order forms? Where? Honestly, nobody ever told me all this.
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You catalogers don't have anything unique anymore. I mean, really — when I used to shop by mail it was because of the ‘Wow!’ factor. Nobody, but nobody, had what I could find in catalogs. Not any more. Everything looks alike. Well, at least it does in the little time I have to wade through 4 billion catalogs. Yeah, well, maybe there aren't quite that many…but they all do look alike. Just like the aisles in a department store, but without the tiring effect of walking all of them, you say? Valid point. I can see more boutiques right at home than I could ever find walking my entire neighborhood (New York City excepted)? And there's the advantage of being able to see what a garment or item actually looks like in my home just by holding the catalog picture up next to the garment I plan to wear the new item with, or in the room I plan to decorate. Why doesn't anyone in catalog land ever remind me about this?
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OK, catalog shopping might be time-efficient, but it's not entertaining. Well, if I really think about it, catalog shopping is…sort of. There are some pretty cool pictures in catalogs. Some catalogs even look a lot like interior design or fashion magazines. Some give me honestly useful information about things like health; others give me reviews of books or videos. Hey — how come nobody in catalog land ever promotes stuff like this?
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You never know when you'll get what you order…if you get it at all. Yeah, once — about a zillion years ago — I ordered something and it never came or something like that happened. What do you mean if I order by phone the customer rep will almost always tell me exactly when it will arrive? Yup, you're right that it's quicker and easier to check on an item by phone than make yet another run to the mall. And come to think of it, I have noticed some guarantee things in catalogs, so I guess they can be trusted. I do remember those really great ads Lands' End ran years ago that talked about how they stood behind their merchandise no matter what. Whatever happened to those ads? How come catalogers don't get the word out that I can rely on them if I decide to buy?
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The postage and handling makes what I buy cost more. How much did you say gas is going up to? OK, my SUV doesn't exactly get great gas mileage. And if I really thought about it, I figure it might cost almost as much as postage and handling…and I guess my time is worth something. The more I think about it, even avoiding the frustrations of retail shopping is worth the cost of the postage and handling. Hmmmm. How come nobody in catalog land ever bothers to remind me about this?
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I have to wade through a vast number of choices on the phone. Who has time for that? Got you there, didn't I? Hate those ‘Press 2 for any chance whatsoever that you will ever talk to a human being’ systems? Oh — not all catalogs have them and some are getting rid of them? Well, why don't they let us know about that? They really ought to. I can't understand why they haven't.
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It's no fun returning something you buy by mail. True, lugging a box or shopping bag to the car, maneuvering into a fought-over parking space, finding the returns counter, waiting for someone to actually be behind it and then arguing about the whole process is less than a walk in the park. What do you mean if I look at the slip in the package I will see a very simple return form that lets me return anything I don't like from the comfort of my own home? You're saying that, depending on the company and the size of the package, it's possible that the offending item can be picked up from my home or easily dropped off at the local post office? Hmmmm. How come nobody in catalog land ever takes the trouble to mention this?
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