Catalogers want their money now — and they’re willing to pay for consumers’ shipping in order to get it.
That’s one conclusion you can draw from Direct Media’s Catalog Tracker data for the first quarter of 2003. Of the 1,073 consumer catalogs tallied by the Greenwich, CT-based list firm from January through March, 7.9% offered free shipping — more than double the 3.7% of catalogs received during the first quarter of 2002. But while 8.0% of the 788 catalogs received during the first quarter of last year offered deferred billing, only 6.0% of those received during first quarter of this year did.
Offers of free S&H were slightly less prevalent in March than in February, though. Whereas 8.0% of the 341 catalogs received in February promoted free S&H, 7.3% of the 357 received in March did. Then again, that’s still up significantly from 4.3% of the catalogs received in March 2002.
Several of the March catalogs offered multiple promotions. Three of Brylane’s apparel titles — Chadwick’s of Boston, Lane Bryant, and Roman’s — touted free shipping and deferred billing. Shoe cataloger Aerosoles offered free shipping and a 20% discount, while Road Runner Sports wooed buyers with free shipping and a 5% discount. And women’s clothing catalog Willow Ridge wasn’t taking any chances: It promoted free shipping, deferred billing, and credit-card offers.