Ahead of this year’s highly competitive holiday season, retailers like Dollar General, Neiman Marcus, and Amazon are releasing print versions of their holiday catalogs, focusing on curation, inspiration, and showcasing the best deals.
- Dollar General’s first printed holiday toy guide includes brands from Fisher-Price to Pokémon, with most toys costing $10 or less.
- Neiman Marcus’ Fantasy Gifts and Holiday Book contains a curated assortment of luxury items and experiences, including a VIP shopping experience at Manolo Blahnik in London and a carriage once owned by the Spanish royal family.
- Since 2018, Amazon has released its toy catalog, featuring over 600 toys and gifts starting at under $10.
The digital edge: Unlike catalogs of years past, these catalogs aren’t limited to print.
- The digital version of Dollar General’s toy guide includes video content and shoppable links, while Amazon’s 2024 Toys We Love page lets users filter products by age or toy type.
- Macy’s created an entire multichannel campaign to promote its holiday catalog, featuring actress Alison Brie as the personified Macy’s Gift Guide.
Why it matters: Retail catalogs are less common than they used to be as the rise of ecommerce has prompted retailers to prioritize digital channels ahead of direct mail.
- US ecommerce sales rose from just $169.92 billion in 2010 to $1.193 trillion this year, per our forecast.
- Direct mail’s share of total advertising spend has declined, dipping from 12% in 2010 to 4% in 2023, per the US Postal Service’s Household Diary studies.
However, the ecommerce landscape has become increasingly crowded, and retailers that want to stand out may consider a more analog approach.
- J. Crew recently brought back its print catalog after a seven-year hiatus. The catalog features content, editorial images of models, and traditional photos of clothes styled flat and folded.
- “The truth is simple,” says Thomaï Serdari, PhD, a professor of marketing and the director of NYU Stern’s Luxury and Retail MBA program, told Vogue Business. “There’s so much digital noise that early movers are hoping to get the customer’s attention away from the digital landscape and in a ‘slow’ mode of consumption.”
The bottom line: Physical catalogs are an effective way for brands to engage with consumers offline. Combined with digital elements, like QR codes or online versions, retailers can provide a more seamless, engaging, and curated experience.
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