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  Thursday, 9 September, 2010 
 



 

Royal Mail Home Shopping Study Reveals Nation of Catalogue Consumers
 
Posted: 26/02/2010
 
Almost two thirds of consumers now consult a catalogue before buying products or  services, according to research revealed by Royal Mail. It's an increase of 9 percent on the previous year. 

 

The Royal Mail Home Shopping Tracker 2009, which put the nation’s shopping habits under the microscope, found that 63 percent of people surveyed refer to a catalogue as part of their buying decision, even if they make the final purchase in-store or online. 

 

As the number of home shoppers seeking the best offers across all shopping channels  increases, catalogues form an important part of the shopping process for even regular online shoppers. Some 45 percent look at a print catalogue before making an online purchase - an increase of eight per cent compared to 2008. 

 

Posted catalogues inform 37 percent of online purchases, an increase of 11 percent on 2008. For online shoppers, posted catalogues are most effective when it comes to browsing for clothes, furniture, toiletries and make-up. 

 

Over half of all home shoppers (52 percent) prefer receiving catalogues sent to them through the post rather than picking them up in-store (18 percent).  Even non-home  shoppers connect with catalogues, with 68 percent favouring a posted or in-store catalogue - an increase of 12 percent on 2008. 

 

Catalogues are kept for future reference or browsing by two-fifths of home shoppers  and they remain in their homes for more than four months. Over half of those who  hold on to their catalogues consider them useful for future reference. 

 

Broader trends evident in the Home Shopping Tracker study reveal a growing tendency for shoppers to investigate purchases and compare prices across multiple retail channels: 

 

* More than four out of five UK consumers (83 percent) research
products and services through a catalogue or on the internet before making purchases, while only 17 percent go straight to a shop. 

 

* Of the 83 percent, the highest adopters of multichannel shopping are
16 to 34-year-olds.  

 

* 24  percent of catalogue shoppers will also browse purchases
in-store, while 21 percent check websites and five percent
investigate items on home shopping TV channels. 

 

* Items most likely to be browsed online before purchase from a
catalogue are clothing and homewares, at 13 percent and 12 percent
respectively. Over one fifth of catalogue shoppers will look
elsewhere before buying. 

 

Antony  Miller, Head of Media Development at Royal Mail, said: “Despite the growth of online retail,  the print catalogue still plays a key role for many  home  shoppers who use them to buy and browse as well as seeking inspiration for new ideas. 

 

“It  is  also  clear  that  multichannel shopping is becoming the preferred method  for most home shoppers as they research the best deals and consider the convenience of buying remotely. Catalogues  and  the  internet offer a powerful combination of information,  showing  the importance of using the two channels together in the marketing mix.” 

 

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