Showing posts with label Party Pieces. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Party Pieces. Show all posts

Wednesday, 1 July 2009

The June Catalogue Log


Last month we introduced the Catalogue Log, in which we analysed the catalogues received by Catalogue e-business to date to see what sort of offers were made. We also promised to update it monthly. Well, here’s the Catalogue Log for June.

Of the 129 catalogues tallied in June, 44—34.1 percent—promised some sort of sale or discount. That’s down appreciably from 42.6 percent of the May catalogues. The percentage of free-delivery offers declined as well, from 11 percent in May to 8.5 percent in June. On the other hand, the percentage offering a free gift increased significantly, from 11 percent in May to 17.8 percent.

Overall 46.5 percent of the catalogues did not tout any promotions, discounts, or offers on their cover. Some, such as food and wine merchant Atkins and Potts and educational supplier Morleys Early Years, played up the new additions to their product range instead. Others, such as Party Pieces, Fire Protection Online, and DIY retailer Wickes, pointed out their order deadlines for next-day delivery (1pm, 2pm, and 6pm respectively). Several made sure to drive readers to their website (“There’s more online at wigglywigglers.co.uk”; “Watch the amazing spa film at lush.co.uk”; “Avoid the queues and check stock online” from knitwear mailer Woolovers). Most of the promotion-free cataloguers, however, didn’t include any special marketing message on their front covers, thereby failing to give readers another reason to turn the page.

A few items of note: Housewares mailer Betterware ran a competition for a year’s worth of free housecleaning. On the cover of its Tents 2009 edition, Taunton Leisure boasted of its “price check promise”. And both Easylife and Telegraph Select featured the same photo of a “versatile ladder” on their front covers—only Easylife charged £10 more.--SC

Monday, 23 March 2009

Royal silliness

That bastion of morality, News of the World, is accusing cataloguer Party Pieces of cashing in on Kate Middleton’s relationship with Prince William to promote its princess-themed party accessories. Middleton, the girlfriend of the prince, is also the daughter of Party Pieces founders Michael and Carole Middleton.

According to the newspaper, "Kate’s well-known face is plastered on a website and glossy brochure pushing EIGHTY-FOUR princess-theme products—from tiaras and dresses to wands and fairytale stagecoaches." I found just one photo of Kate, in which she poses alongside two other Party Pieces staff and isn't even identified by name. Nor does she appear anywhere among the photos of the princess-related products--and never mind that it’s all but impossible to run a successful party business without offering princess-theme goodies for little girls. (Trust me on this--I'm the mum of a nine-year-old daughter who has thankfully outgrown her princess stage.)

Even the News of the World's readers think that the newspaper is making "another mountain out of a molehill", to quote one of the comments on its website. Never mind: It is only News of the World, after all.--SC