Catalogues keep consumers coming back for more

The catalogue is a welcome addition to Australian letterboxes, according to a new study by Sweeney Research.

The national research based on 600 interviews Australia-wide revealed that 89 per cent of households were happy to receive catalogues, while 85 per cent of Australians read the catalogues delivered to their letterboxes.

New CEO of the Australian Catalogue Association, Ken Bishop (pictured), believes that nine out of 10 people regularly read at least one retail catalogue they receive and that seven out of 10 use unaddressed advertising mail to search for bargains.

“Consumers continue to believe unaddressed advertising mail is effective and much-needed in the community,” he said. “It improves the quality and availability of product and price information and helps consumers to make better purchasing decisions.”

Catalogues have come under question recently after PMP admitted to distribution errors, leading some retailers to question their effectiveness. Bishop, however, believes that the medium continues to be a strong and reliable means of communication.

“The research also demonstrates to Australia retailers the remarkable effectiveness of this form of marketing,” he said. “It allows retailers to directly engage with the consumer and enables them to deliver important information about products into a consumer’s home, so they can make an informed decision at a time that suits them.”