Retailers turn back to tried-and-true catalog

As merchants try to get shoppers to dig deep into their wallets this season, some are trying an old-school approach: the catalog.

Thick, glossy and mailed directly to millions of homes, catalogs are part of retailers' efforts to stand out.

Of course, catalogs have always been around. But this year, more retailers are splurging on them, reasoning that a catalog on the coffee table can keep the retailer top-of-mind with shoppers.

"E-mail's gotten tough because of all of the spam and all of the stuff you get," said Mike Gatti, president of the Retail Advertising and Marketing Association. "It's tough to make it effective.

"I think some (retailers) were surprised that people would get a catalog in the mail and then just come on the Web site and buy it," he said. "But it happens."

Mailboxes are being stuffed this year with catalogs from retailers such as Target, Dillard's and -- for the first time since 1993 -- Sears.

Catalogs give shoppers gift ideas and drive traffic online and to stores, Target spokeswoman Jana O'Leary said. Target mailed customers a 90-page catalog.

"It's just to get guests excited and have something tangible in their hands when they go," she said.

Sears spokeswoman Kirsten Whipple said catalogs have to fit in with a broader marketing scheme. The revived Wishbook has 188 pages, substantially slimmed down from the 750-page 1993 version.

Sears also has begun a full radio, TV, Web and print campaign that focuses on granting people's wishes this holiday season.

"Our effort is really tied to the fact that all of our shoppers have different shopping habits and like to shop in different ways," Whipple said. "Some people look at the catalog and say 'Great, I don't even have to go into the store.' But we have to make sure as a retailer that we are reaching them how they would like to shop."

That's increasingly important for retailers trying to balance traditional forms of advertising and new ones, said Dan Butler, vice president of retail operations for the National Retail Federation.

During a season steeped in tradition, Dillard's gift-guide catalog plays an important role in meeting customers' expectations, spokeswoman Julie Bull said.

"Some people look for those things in the mail," she said. "We don't want to let anyone down at Christmas."

(Distributed by Scripps Howard News Service, www.scrippsnews.com.)