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So what is a mail-order catalogue (catalog - for US)?, well
it's a publication which either contains a selection or a
full list of merchandise on sale from a company. Whilst some
manufacturers do create catalogues or small sales flyers for
their products, the major players buy branded or rebranded
products to sell.
The most popular catalogue in the UK is Argos, which is owned
by the home retail group. Their business model is currently
quite unique. They run over 600 high street stores. With most
customers using the catalogue as a reference, then visit their
local store, and order and collect instore. The fact the full
colour publication is free is also a huge additional benefit.
The typical business of a catalogue is exemplified by Freemans.
Using a warehouse to stock the goods, most goods are sold
on credit, with agents used to market and distribute the illustrated
catalogue. Quite a few companies (Betterware) also use their
agents to collect the order forms, then distribute and collect
payment for the order.
Whilst Freemans began with the same model Betterware currently
use, once they started competing with the leading department
stores they needed to use a professional courier service to
deliver the larger consumer goods. Some companies also began
to charge when they started to produce full-colour, 1,000-plus
page catalogues. The cost of creating full colour images page
after page is an expensive process. Freemans still charge
£2.99.
A major criticism of catalogues presently is the environmental
issue. With some companies releasing and posting flyers week
after week, most of which get binned, the waste of paper is
a major concern to some households. To combat this quite a
few mail order companies now include instructions and encourage
recycling with sound disposal. Appropriate compliance schemes
can be found at sites such as catalogue recycling and waste
online.
The World Wide Web now represents a great opportunity for
these companies, not only can they save money by producing
less full colour publications, but they can satisfy the environmental
brigade at the same time. The speed by which people can order
is also increased, posting or telephoning an order takes longer
and is more work and inconvenience.
Privacy Policy
The information contained within this site is general in
nature, and may not be applicable to all catalogue companies.
We can also not guarantee the accuracy of the information.
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