Dive Brief:

• Though catalogs are using bigger and better photos and less text, they are increasingly a go-to medium to entice shoppers, even by online-only retailers, according to the Wall Street Journal. 

• Bonobos, for example, expanded its catalog circulation last year after testing it out. The e-retailer found that 20% of its customers buy after receiving the catalog and spend 150% more than new customers who didn’t get a catalog.

• Catalog mailings saw an increase in 2013 for the first time in years, according to the Direct Marketing Association.

Dive Insight:

Retailers are finding that catalogs can provide the kind of inspirational experiences also provided by fashion magazines. Many retailers are leaving the nitty-gritty information like specific measurements or care instructions for the website. In fact, more catalogs are now designed to send shoppers to a company’s website or store, rather than filling out an order form. It’s a new-old way to capture consumers’ attention and boost sales.