Yet, we all have our specialized areas and interests. While general mail-order
catalogs, like Sears, have struggled and become extinct, specialized catalogs
to niche markets have thrived.
Consider specialized catalogs to outdoorsmen such as Cabela's, Gander
Mountain, and The Sportsman's Guide. Being from Minnesota, I see many
catalogs and catalog companies catering to fishermen, campers, hunters,
and other outdoor types.
Still, while many people order from such catalogs, the industry, itself,
has gotten extremely competitive. Gander Mountain had a beautiful catalog
that was relatively well-targeted. But, the costs of larger full-colored
catalogs are significant, and the catalog was abandoned.
Cabela's catalog is much like the old Gander Mountain catalog. It has
extremely high quality printing and is moderately-well targeted. However,
it suffers from the same difficulty plaguing all high-quality print catalogs.
Printing and mailing costs. The only way to recoup high printing costs
is to pass the cost on to the consumer. But, people who really belong
to a given niche market receive many, many catalogs. The people who are
significant buyers within a niche receive cheaper catalogs often printed
in newsprint or similar quality. What these cheaper catalogs lack in elegance,
they make up for in selection and in pricing. Often, these catalogs are
nothing more than lists and lists of products and the associated price.
And, the price is lower than the advertised price of the high-quality
print catalog. Where does the customer buy? Usually, from the lower-priced
catalog.
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