While some merchants have either reduced the numbers of paper catalogs they send out every year or eliminated them entirely in favor of the online channel, retailers still mailed roughly 20 billion catalogs to American consumers in 2010, according to The Wall Street Journal.
For those looking to cut down on postage while still putting catalogs (literally) in the hands of consumers, there's the Apple iPad. And where there are iPads, there are apps. The latest is called Catalog Spree from Padopolis and it delivers a marketplace of electronic catalogs from merchants including Artful Home, DwellStudio, Filson, NapaStyle, Serena & Lilly, Tea Collection and others.
"Catalog Spree was designed to give today's mobile shopper exactly what they want: everything and anything, immediately with a magical user experience," said Catalog Spree co-founder and CEO Joaquín Ruiz, in a press release. "Much like the iBooks experience, people will have their favorite catalogs at their fingertips when using Catalog Spree. Shoppers will also have the chance to discover great new stores that offer exactly what people are looking for, all from one app on their iPad."
Harold Egler, vice president of direct sales, Filson, said, "We want to serve our customers in any way they want to shop. That's why we operate in multiple channels -- via our website, a traditional call center, our stores in Seattle and Portland and through a wide distribution network of other retailers. We see Catalog Spree as an opportunity to make Filson products available to iPad users in a very interactive way."