New research conducted by Roy Morgan has revealed that over 70 per cent of Australians aged 14 and over prefer reading printed catalogues over online catalogues.
Kellie Northwood, executive director, Australian Catalogue Association (ACA) says, “For consumers, catalogues bring the shop front to the kitchen table, and assist in the pre-purchase decision making.”
Northwood says, “They encourage people to go to a store, and with the growth of digital consumers, they are driving people online either to make a purchase or do some research.”
The search found that only 11 per cent of Australians read catalogues online. Australians aged 50 and over were most likely to read printed catalogues (75 per cent), and those aged between 24-35 were most likely to read online catalogues (15 per cent), but still 66 per cent read printed catalogues.
Northwood says retailers already know the value of catalogues and are now expanding into multi-channel communication plans, leveraging from the strengths of catalogues and marrying with digital communication options.
She says, “Letterbox drops supported by text messages, email campaigns, QR coding and more are delivering the highest return on investment for retailers.”
“People retain messaging and engage more intimately with paper-based communications and catalogues are no different. Unfortunately, as part of the print industry, catalogues are perceived to have a negative environmental impact in comparison to their digital and online counterparts.”
Northwood says, “Paper is an effective and environmental communications vehicle and is inherently sustainable, renewable and recyclable. In fact catalogues are 100 per cent recyclable and are produced from sustainable plantation timber, where two new tress are planted for every one used.”
“Most likely due to the tangible nature of paper and the invisibility of digital communications, consumers are often unaware of the impact on the environment their digital communication has. I often speak with people who are surprised to learn an online search for a contact emits three times more energy that a printed business card.”
Australian retailers are spending some $1.5bn annually on producing catalogues, representing approximately 60 per cent of their advertising spend.
