So that’s why they keep sending me catalogs.

For years I have been baffled by the fact that after I buy something from a company online they start sending me catalogs.  I mean isn’t it clear that I do my shopping online?

Part of the mystery was solved when a friend who specializes in direct mail informed me that it only costs about a dollar to print and mail a catalog.  I guess when the cost is that low it’s worth the expense even if I immediately take it to the incinerator room, because one of my neighbors might pick it up and place an order. 

But a new Baynote study suggests a more obvious answer.  After analyzing consumer behavior across various retail channels during the 2012 holiday season they have discovered that paper catalogs influenced 81.9% more in-store purchases and 42.9% more online purchases than Facebook.  (Loechner, 2013)

I hope marketers are paying attention.

Loechner, J. (2013, January 21)  Paper Print Prevails For Purchases.  mediapost.com.  Retrieved January 23, 2013, from http://www.mediapost.com/publications/article/191470/paper-print-prevails-for-purchases.html#axzz2IpY1ovMW