Do you still shop from paper catalogs?

Question

The company I work for sells lots of products of interest to seniors, but we no longer mail out a paper catalog. All our products are listed on the website, but we DO still take orders over the phone.

I've talked to a number of people over the last year or so who miss having a paper catalog to flip through for ideas. However our research shows that most of the people receiving catalogs were placing orders through the website anyway. I'm sure I could find countless studies about how people shop, but I'd rather hear it right from the consumer's mouths.

Answer 1

I prefer to sit back in my recliner and look at the paper catalogs.!!

Answer 2

I have a couple of catalogs that I shop from. When Service Merchandise was here in my city they sent a nice thick catalog each year, a Spring/Summer update and a few sale papers in the mail. I missed their catalog when they discontinued it because I often found things there that the other stores didn't offer. When I asked the clerk why they discontinued their catalog they said they were updating and clearing out items throughout the year and the catalog had become obsolete. They lasted a couple more years before closing that store, and it was one of their most profitable ones. I think when they stopped with the catalog they lost business. I can take a catalog to work and read it and figure out what I want on my break or lunch periods and then go ahead and place orders on the internet or by phone.

Answer 3

Even though I do a lot of online shopping, I still like to get paper catalogs and then order what I want online. There's just something more relaxing about browsing through a catalog rather than sitting hunched over a keyboard, staring at a computer monitor, and the photos are bigger and of better quality. I've returned many items that I saw online because they didn't look like the photos...I don't recall ever having to return anything I selected from a paper catalog, though.

Answer 4

I shop from catalogs because the product descriptions help me make good selections, but I usually log into the company's website to place the order. If I did not receive the catalog in the mail, I probably wouldn't think to shop online for products from that company.

Answer 5

If I find something of interest in a catalog then I order it online. More than likely I'd never have been interested if I hadn't recieved a catalog through the mail to browes through. If I'm looking for a major item to buy, I'll go to the websites to compare.

Answer 6

I really prefer a paper catalog. I can refer to it at my leisure. I do a lot of online shopping, I live over an hour from any major stores. The paper catalogs is a nice reference, for comparisons.

Answer 7

I've always enjoyed leafing through a catalog, but I also have ordered plenty online. It depends on how I want to pay for the purchase. A catalog will take a check. I don't trust putting my card numbers on the internet, but I've used PAYPAL.

Answer 8

I order plants from catalogs because they never have the type I want at Lowe's, and they are cheaper to order. I like catalogs, and I DO order from them when I see something I like. I do not shop on-line for the simple reason that I never get what I really want from the computer. It never looks like the picture it shows, or something is wrong with it.

Answer 9

Sportsman's Guide was a catalog I was signed up for for many years and got a lot of very good stuff from their monthly paper - boots, jackets, winter gloves and so forth.



Nowadays I see them online rather than via the catalog.They still sell a lot of army surplus, from armies all over the world, quite often handy items for camping and the outdoors at bargain prices.

Answer 10

I still do a small amount of shopping by catalog since I live in a small town and do not have many of the big stores. I prefer to go to the outlet store to enter my order instead of doing it online.

Answer 11

I get a few small ones in the mail quite regularly and I browse through them. Very occasionally I buy from them. Remember the huge JC Penney Co, and Sears catalogs? They made great reading for the bathroom back in the day! =)

Answer 12

Yes... as recently as last month. I like Campmor - they are also on the web. Their paper catalog usually gets my attention immediately.

Answer 13

Yes. SGT GRIT in particular. I used to get a pile of those 'gift' catalogs. But haven't had any in a couple of years.

When we were stationed in Sardinia (large island north of Sicily) in the mid-70's we used to use SEARS, PENNY'S, ALDENS, & MONTGOMERY WARDS to get stateside clothing, etc.



@ CO the OLD DOG...thanks. I just went to CAMPMOR web site and ordered their catalog!

Answer 14

Just LL Bean because they have tall sizes. I order over the phone. I'd rather talk to a humanoid than a computer.

Answer 15

Call me Old School but I love my paper catalogs.I don't like giving personal info on my pc. Also not all Seniors have or use computers

Answer 16

All the time.

Answer 17

Only occasionally as the shipping and handling gets expensive.

Answer 18

Web shopping has obsoleted all other methods. They deliver to the door while I rest in my recliner and eat ice cream.

Answer 19

I very seldom order anything from them, but I enjoy looking at them.

Answer 20

No.

All local catalogues are now on the web.

Answer 21

i would assume that there are still some computer illiterate people who like it the old way, or argos haven't advanced that far!

Answer 22

No, no more newspaper, I do everything online. Besides, I don't have to recycle any of that.