Break out the leftover eggnog…it’s that special time of year everyone looks forward to: the annual post-holiday Pushing the Envelope catalog overview. (Or, “How to Turn a Pile of Office Clutter Into Magazine Copy in Five Easy Steps.”)
Well, it wasn’t actually a pile. In as close to a Martha Stewart maneuver as I’ll ever get without wearing prison stripes, I kept my catalogs in an attractive wicker basket next to my printer. I may even turn them into festive origami to tie onto gifts for family and friends. Or put them out for recycling in a few weeks. Whatever. Either way, it will be a “good thing.”
Between late August and mid-November, my household received 73 catalogs. To compare, 135 books crossed our mailbox from late July through Thanksgiving 2001 and 65 arrived from late summer to Halloween in 2000.
It’s no surprise to me that we received fewer catalogs than we did over roughly the same period last year. For the most part, our 2002 direct expenditures have been for books, CDs or clothing selected online from a small circle of trusted e-tailers.
The breakdown of catalog type received was similar to previous years. Food, housewares and gifts were the big categories, with respectively 16, 18 and 14 books received from each sector. Eight clothing catalogs and six pet-related books were counted, and the remainder were from a variety of niches — companies ranging from Colorful Images to DHC Skincare to Magellan’s.
One big difference from last year was what appeared on the covers — or rather, what didn’t appear. Post-Sept. 11, 2001, many catalogers naturally included patriotic themes or sentiments as part of their design. This year’s books were back to business — not a bad thing at all, I think.
About a third of the catalogs I received came bearing dot-whacks — the in thing for catalogs-in-the-know to wear this season. Swiss Colony took a polite approach with its “Important Notice!” message, stating that they didn’t want to “bother” me with unwanted catalogs. Order now, they suggested, and I’d be sure to receive future mailings. The Popcorn Factory was also feeling courteous, asking me to save their catalog for reference as it was the last of the season.
L.L. Bean plugged its “90 Canoes in 90 Days” giveaway, although maybe 90 snowboards in 90 days would have been more appropriate, given the winter scenes on the cover. (Speaking of Bean, I only received two catalogs from them — a letdown from the whopping 18 mailed last year. I know I haven’t made a purchase recently, but gee, a girl still likes to be wooed.)
Then, of course, there were the offers, the come-hither siren calls to buy. The Wine Enthusiast promised 10% off with its dot-whack, while Wine Country Gift Baskets touted a 5% discount on Web orders and Window Coverings Superstore chimed in with 15% off first orders.
Shipping discounts — still rampant in some Web sectors — weren’t as prevalent in the print books I received. Wolferman’s offered half-off shipping for orders over $60, while L.L. Bean reminded customers of its usual FedEx standard delivery. Potpourri and Plow & Hearth both dot-whacked offers of express shipping upgrades. DHC was the only one to offer free shipping outright — on orders of over $68. Huh? $68? I’d be interested to know how they came up with that figure.
Lillian Vernon and Harry & David both dot-whacked deferred payment offers, although H&D gets a point off for not specifying where inside shoppers could get info on the payment plan (it was on the order form). The fruit and treats cataloger also tempted prospects with a dot-whack for its new cheesecake petit fours.
Stew Leonard’s didn’t go for a hard-whack, preferring instead to invite shoppers to its Web site. Likewise, Bliss promoted a new color collection, Aerosoles over 20 new shoe styles and Lands’ End turtlenecks.
As for the catalog covers themselves, nothing outrageous cropped up design-wise. Lands’ End’s variations included a Norman Rockwell painting and an illustration of a white dove wishing peace for the season, while L.L. Bean opened with rustic snow scenes and a close-up of a wreath (for sale inside, of course). Planet Dog also got close-up — maybe too close-up — with a shot of a pooch enjoying one of the catalog’s toy bones. Artsy, sure, but as an animal person I would have liked to see a more traditional, full-bodied shot of the canine model.
Refill your eggnog (oh, drink up — expiration dates are for sissies) and come back next month, when I’ll regale you with some of my holiday shopping hits and misses.
BETH NEGUS VIVEIROS ([email protected]) is executive editor of DIRECT.
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