BOSTON — Catalogers increasingly view the Internet as an important part of their businesses, according to preliminary results from The Direct Marketing Association's State of the Catalog/Interactive Industry Report.
The DMA gave a sneak preview of the findings, which will be released later this summer, during a press session yesterday at its Annual Catalog Conference.
Thirteen percent of catalogers sales now come from the Internet, according to the report, and more than half of respondents described themselves as a catalog/Internet/retail company. Catalogers are now looking at how to make the various sales channels work together to further grow their businesses.
Survey respondents said there are still many challenges facing them. Rising delivery costs and higher customer service expectations topped the list.
Catalogers are also finding that strategic planning has become a necessary business tool with seven out of10 respondents stating that they have three-year strategic plans.
