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Why The Internet Has Not Replaced Catalogs

Lynne Saarte

December 08, 2008

You would think that given the many ways that the internet has altered how we shop, catalogs would largely be a thing of the past.

After all, shopping online is quite similar to shopping through a catalog. Both show you an image of the product, both give you a description of the product, and both allow you to purchase things from home. With both you will be sent your product through the mail, and even the way you order is similar with both of them. So why do companies continue to print catalogs when it would appear the internet is superior?

There are a number of reasons why catalogs persist, and why they surely will continue to for many more years. The first is due to the simple fact that many people still do not have access to the internet. Given enough time this may change, but for the moment catalogs cater to a market the internet cannot reach.

Catalog printing can also go places that the internet cannot. You can only buy online when you happen to be sitting in front of your computer. You cannot idly glance through a website while sitting on the couch or while waiting someplace to be seen. You cannot take the internet with you wherever you can, while you can take a catalog with you.

This convenience means a lot to quite a few people. Sometimes I like to be able to just grab a catalog when I know I am going someplace where I will be waiting for a long time. The internet is nice to have, but it cannot be carried with me in the same way that a catalog can.

Also, there is just a certain feeling to being about to actually hold something in my hands. I get tired of staring at a computer screen for hours on end, and unless I feel like buying a laptop I cannot just casually sit anywhere I like while looking through things, or spread my computer out on the table to look through while eating.

People like to be able to hold something in their hands and to stare at real paper as opposed to images on a screen. This is the same reason why books are still being published rather than just being shown online or through other sources.

The internet does provide a certain amount of convenience that catalogs cannot quite match, and while the two of them are relatively similar, each has a distinct different that any good company should be aware of.

There are going to be plenty of companies out there who continue to print catalogs for a very long time, because they understand that no matter how it might appear, catalogs are not about to go away anytime soon.


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