April Catalogue Log

Compared with March, it seems cataloguers toned down their reliance on discounting in April. However, a look back at the data shows April was actually more promotional than the previous month and appreciably up on the same period last year.

Out of the 93 catalogues that crossed the editorial desk last month, 38, or 40.9 percent, featured a sale or discount on the cover. In March, 45 percent of catalogues did so. The percentage of catalogues promoting free delivery on the cover also dipped, from 26.1 percent in March to 23.7 percent in April. However in total, April just had the edge when it came to overall promotions displayed on the cover. We noted that 63.4 percent of catalogues featured a sale, discount, free shipping or free gift on the front cover in April, compared with 62.4 percent the preceding month.  

Year-on-year we tracked a 12 percent increase in the volume of catalogues received. We tallied 93 catalogues in April 2012, compared with 83 percent in April 2011. And while we didn’t receive a spring edition of William Powell this year, or a sale catalogue from Neat Ideas (Staples Direct), we did get a catalogue from JoJo Maman Bebe, Wall London and Suttons Seeds, which were missing from last year’s roster.

One of the catalogues that stood out last month was Joe Browns, which had undergone a revamp. The new-look catalogue, which I’m told was only mailed to a certain segment of the database, is a 100-page perfect-bound edition. In a really bold move, the refreshed catalogue doesn’t feature a product on the front cover. It’s also slightly larger than previous editions, giving the products inside more room to “breathe”. I rather like it.

As far as promotional cover lines are concerned, April 2012 was significantly more discount-led. As mentioned earlier, 40.9 percent of covers featured a sales or discount in April 12, compared with 34.9 percent in April 11 and 29.2 percent in April 10. Cotswold Collections, Dwell and Graham & Green were among the 2012 catalogues offering a discount.

While in April 2010 and 2011 fewer than one in five catalogues offered free delivery, the promotion was much more popular in April 2012 and featured on 23.7 percent of covers. Catalogues offering free shipping included Tulchan, Soar Mill Seeds and Fashion Union, which combined the offer with a hefty 20 percent discount.

Bucking the trend completely, free gifts were more popular in April than in March, but less so than the same period last year. We counted 13 catalogues—14 percent—offering a freebie in April 2012, ranging from a free silk tie from Charles Tyrwhitt, a free MP3 speaker set from Viking and free chocolates in every order from Bibliophile.--MT

September Catalogue Log

The last few months have seen catalogue volume seesaw. We noted the biggest percentage decline in 2011 to date in July, when volume fell 30 percent year-on-year.  In contrast, the following month (August-on-August) experienced the biggest rise, up 43 percent on the previous year.  Moving into September and another drop; we logged 165 catalogues in September 2011, compared with 185 last year, a decline of almost 11 percent. The decline is even more significant when you consider that two years ago we received 212 catalogues in September.

Nevertheless, 165 catalogues in one month is a record for 2011. Until now, the highest number was 140, received way back in March. September also broke the 2011 record for lowest number of covers touting special offers.  Last month, more than half of all the catalogues we received featured no mention of a promotion on the cover, including Smyths Toys, Poetry, Presents for Men and Feather & Black.
Of the remaining catalogues that did include an offer, a sale or discount was once again the most popular, promoted on 65 covers (39.4 percent).
 
Free delivery was promoted on 18.8 percent of covers. Almost the same as percentage as August, but appreciably less than in 2010, when almost a quarter of all catalogues promoted some sort of p&p offer on the cover. Free delivery ranged from unconditional (Muddy Puddles) to a £150 threshold (Marie Chantal). Among the b-to-b mailers, Eureka required customers to spend £250 before qualifying for free p&p.

Continuing the record-breaking theme, last month we received just 11 catalogues (6.7 percent) promising us a free gift with purchase, this is the lowest figure since December 2009.  Among the freebies on offer were chocolates when we spent £40 or more at Wiggly Wigglers, a wooden well with iron pump and as many as 75 free flowers from Spalding and a free reading light from Serious Readers if we spent more than £200 on one order.

Also noteworthy is the trend of receiving several catalogues from the same retailer in one month; stand up Crew Clothing, Boden, and Joe Browns. Last month, Joe Browns sent us two 100-page catalogues, one promoted free delivery, the other had no offer on the cover. Crew Clothing mailed us a 220-page catalogue featuring 10 percent off as well as a 76-page mailing, also offering 10 percent off. Crew also sent a 76-page catalogue with an offer for 20 percent off everything. We were inundated with catalogues from Boden last month—we tracked a 68-page insert in Red magazine, offering 15 percent off, free delivery and returns and a free silk scarf. We also received two 244-page Autumn catalogues, one with an offer and one without; two mini Boden catalogues, an 188-page version featuring 15 percent off, free delivery and free returns and a 216-page version with no offer, and a 60-page Johnnie B catalogue targeting those shopping for teenagers.

Back to the stats, here’s one final fact for this issue of the Catalogue Log: we’ve received more catalogues in 2011 to date than we received at this point last year. For the first nine months of the year we logged 964 catalogues, compared with 952 catalogues received between January and September 2010.--MT

Delivering info about deliveries, take two

Last week I went on a bit about how few companies were posting messages on their home pages reassuring customers about deliveries in the event of a Royal Mail strike. But I’m pleased to report that during the past day or so, eight of the 17 marketing emails I’ve received have included some sort of note about delivery. (Okay, I’d be even more pleased to report that the Communication Workers Union won’t be striking against Royal Mail tomorrow, but hey ho.)

For instance, in its email the day before the scheduled strike, NotontheHighStreet.com included a “Postal Strike Update”. The note was a bit ambiguous: “While any postal strike will inevitably affect some of the delivery times stated on our product pages, many of our deliveries are by courier and will be unaffected. In addition, we will do everything we can to get your order to you as quickly as we can.” While I like the idea of the beautifully groomed NotontheHighStreet founders pedalling a bike in high heels to personally deliver a gift to a customer, that’s probably not what they had in mind by “we will do everything we can”.

The postal note appeared about three-quarters of the way down the NotontheHighStreet email; I didn’t see it until I’d hit the Page Down button 13 times. I also had to scroll down, though just a bit, on the email from Baker Ross to read that “Your order will NOT be affected by a Royal Mail strike”.

Great Little Trading Co, on the other hand, put its notice right at the top of its email. So did Great Universal, which kept its message short and sweet: “Rely on us—we won’t be affected by the Royal Mail strikes.” Others that featured reassurances regarding delivery on the initial screen of their emails were The Book People, The Healthy House, and Vertbaudet.

Next and Joe Browns even used the occasion of the impending strikes to contact their subscribers just to let them know that delivery would be unaffected.

Another eight retailers made no mention of the Royal Mail strikes or delivery options in the marketing emails they sent out on the Tuesday and Wednesday prior to the scheduled strike. Maybe that’s because they are Royal Mail customers and have no contingency plans.

Then again, Petmeds uses Royal Mail, yet it emailed customers an update about delivery. “Due to ongoing Royal Mail Postal strikes we ask if you could allow extra time for orders to be delivered. We are currently working on using an alternative postal provider and will update you when this is in place,” the message began. It proceeded to remind readers of its expedited service options and added, “We really value your custom and appreciate your patience at this time”. Come on, everyone: Aww…

Petmeds knows that consumers would rather be kept informed, even if the information isn’t ideal. It also knows how to position that less-than-ideal news, in this instance by couching it as a “we’re all in this together” situation. After all, very often it’s not what you say but how you say it--and that you say it--that counts.--SC

Huh of the day

I am seriously considering making Huh of the day a regular feature on this blog. Today's Huh-- joining Joe Browns' unexplained CD WOW promotion and Pixmania's foray into fragrance--is from Borders.

With tenuous links like "Find your happily ever after..." and "Start a new chapter in your life..." Borders is moving into online dating.

I don't know about you, but to me it just seems a bit weird. A mismatch in matchmaking. As they say in dating, "I wonder how long this one will last..."--MT

Tell me more

With a nod to our regular contributor Herschell Gordon Lewis, a recent email from apparel cataloguer Joe Browns was met with the reaction “Huh?”
“Huh?” because half-way down the email in between “bright and breezy” womenswear and “men’s festival fashion” was a banner ad promoting 5 percent off and free shipping at entertainment etailer CD Wow.
“Huh?” because there was no explanation, anywhere, of this partnership. I’m used to emails that say “we’ve teamed up with our friends at…” but there was nothing here to tell me what Joe Browns has to do with CD Wow or for how long this promotion has been running.
“Huh?” because when I clicked through to the CD Wow site I saw my discount automatically applied and a Joe Browns logo but still no further details.
And “Huh?” because Joe Browns seems only to be promoting this partnership within its emails. I couldn’t find any further information on the Joe Browns website, blog, or catalogue.
Yes, as Herschell often writes, the web is price-driven. But is our attention span so short and so focused on getting the best deal that retailers can now leave out all the other details from selling copy? I, for one, hope not.—MT