Catalogue & Home Shopping: Facts, Figures and Interesting Snippets

Copyright (c) 2007 Sam Benton

When asked to offer something interesting about their business, the leading Catalogue and Home Shopping companies from the UK and Europe duly responded. Here's just a small selection of what they came up with.

One Catalogue company supplied over 24,850 leather & fabric swatches over the last year. (Swatches can be requested online with a simple click of the mouse)

Another Catalogue Home Shopping company told us that over 38% of their ladies clothing sales came from their online website. Predictions show that this will increase to over 70% within 2 years.

The biggest Catalogue Home Shopping company in the UK told us that they expect to launch unique lines every month, with an aim to offer something new every 3 days.

One Catalogue company will sell 84 mobile phones, 30 televisions and 15 computers every hour of every day.

In less than a year, one major Catalogue company sold 3000 Pole dancing kits online, suggesting customers are taking advantage are the extremely discreet option of buying online.

At least 1 leading Catalogue Home Shopping company has introduced catwalk videos on their website. (We expect more to follow)

Old News! In 2005 Britain spent over £2.2 Billion on plus size clothing, some 17% of the total women's wear market, and it's still growing (no pun intended) Home Shopping Catalogues have gained an ever increasing share of the outsize market in the UK due to the advantages of discreet shopping at home which removes any embarrassment or alienation that high street shopping may entail.

Some 60% of Shoppers looking for plus size clothes told us they felt frustrated by the lack of choice on offer in the high street. This finding reinforces the latest research that states that UK high street retailers are losing their share of the lucrative women's plus size market, worth £3.5 Billion because they are failing to provide the range and variety that older women now expect.

Because of the limitations of (costly) retail floor space and the physical (manageable) number of pages in printed catalogue, over ninety percent of the multi channel retailers we talked to, plan to offer 'Web Only' exclusives through their online channels.

Interesting snippets or not, the fact remains that Catalogue and Home Shopping companies hold a significant place in the hearts and minds of shoppers, regardless of fluctuating trends, fads or lifestyles.

Their very existence brings a vast array of choice to just about every market, whether it's for the many or for the few, the internet is all encompassing.

As always, Happy Shopping