Do Gucci Catalogs Stack Up in Direct Marketing
Case 2: Do Gucci Catalogs Stack Up in Direct Marketing?
Catalogs, one type of direct mail merchandising, have been increasing in popularity as consumers look toward convenience in their shopping. Catalog business has even been expanding on the international horizon, Harris Catalog Library has offered 1,250 domestic and international catalogs for patrons to order from. Catalog libraries can be found close to home in U.S. libraries, and as far away as Japanese department stores. The Japanese have been especially fond of shopping by catalog, since by ordering American products directly from catalogs, savings up to 30 or 40 percent can be had over local retailers. Total U.S. catalog sales were $78.6 billion in 1997 and were expected to top $95 billion in 2002. Approximately 12 billion catalogs are produced each year in the U.S. If all catalog and mailorder sales are combined, they accounted for about 4% of all U.S. retail sales in 1998.
Closer to home, American catalog marketers have been striving to increase sales and promote catalog growth on the domestic horizon.
The big dilemma facing these marketers is how to accomplish this goal
— a difficult task, since look-alike catalogs and merchandising is standard in the industry. The problem is only compounded by the fact that attempts to break out of this trend are unusual for catalog marketers — especially due to the fact that the industry occupies one of the most conservative locations on the American marketing landscape. A few catalog marketers have made attempts to break away from the traditional modes of catalog marketing. Gucci is one such company which employs innovative marketing techniques. Gucci's unorthodox style emerged in 1985 when the Gucci autumn/winter catalog took a new distribution route in the U.S. — for the first time
Gucci catalogs were made available in bookstores.
Gucci had fallen on bad times in the early 1980s, but had revitalized itself by the nineties primarily by
Catalogs, one type of direct mail merchandising, have been increasing in popularity as consumers look toward convenience in their shopping. Catalog business has even been expanding on the international horizon, Harris Catalog Library has offered 1,250 domestic and international catalogs for patrons to order from. Catalog libraries can be found close to home in U.S. libraries, and as far away as Japanese department stores. The Japanese have been especially fond of shopping by catalog, since by ordering American products directly from catalogs, savings up to 30 or 40 percent can be had over local retailers. Total U.S. catalog sales were $78.6 billion in 1997 and were expected to top $95 billion in 2002. Approximately 12 billion catalogs are produced each year in the U.S. If all catalog and mailorder sales are combined, they accounted for about 4% of all U.S. retail sales in 1998.
Closer to home, American catalog marketers have been striving to increase sales and promote catalog growth on the domestic horizon.
The big dilemma facing these marketers is how to accomplish this goal
— a difficult task, since look-alike catalogs and merchandising is standard in the industry. The problem is only compounded by the fact that attempts to break out of this trend are unusual for catalog marketers — especially due to the fact that the industry occupies one of the most conservative locations on the American marketing landscape. A few catalog marketers have made attempts to break away from the traditional modes of catalog marketing. Gucci is one such company which employs innovative marketing techniques. Gucci's unorthodox style emerged in 1985 when the Gucci autumn/winter catalog took a new distribution route in the U.S. — for the first time
Gucci catalogs were made available in bookstores.
Gucci had fallen on bad times in the early 1980s, but had revitalized itself by the nineties primarily by
References: 2) Gene G. Marcial, “Scuffed-up Gucci May Get a SBhuisnien,e”s s Week (August 4, 1997): 65. 3) Ida Picker, “Brand RescuIen,s”t itutional Inves t(oArpril 1997): 25-6. 4) Faye Rice, “The Turnaround Champ of Haute CouFtourrteu,n” e (November 24, 1997): 305-6. 5) “Gucci Resurfaces as Fast-Growing FTirhme, ”W all Street Journal (October 8, 1995): Col