Catalogues 'can have an impact on online retail'

11:22 4th March 2010

Companies in Lancashire could boost the popularity of their online retail services by sending catalogues out to clients, an expert has suggested.

Coy Clement, of advertising consultancy clementDirect, recently outlined in an interview with eMarketer.com that both channels can complement each other very well and also impact on how people use e-commerce websites.

He explained that those who read catalogues tend to know what they are looking for when they head online, which is in stark contrast to other consumers.

"People who show up through organic search or a corporate high-traffic site have much more difficulty navigating the website because they really don't know what the key items are," he outlined to the online portal.

Such issues have led many companies to "split their clickstreams" into two, so that people have the option of accessing versions of the site which are most suited to their needs.

Mr Clement's comments have come after a study by the Royal Mail revealed that 63 per cent of Brits like to look at a catalogue as part of their buying habits, even if they choose to buy in-store or online.

It also found that posted catalogues inform 37 per cent of online purchases.

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