By Tom Ryan
After 14 years on the shelf, Sears is bringing back its Wish Book catalog in a fresh bid to gain new customers and regain old ones.
Unlike its 800-page plus predecessor, the updated Wish Book being mailed to shoppers this week is only 188-pages. The Wish Book catalog, which began production in the 1970s, was canceled due to declining profits and sales in 1993.
"We all get lots of gifts, but wishes are a special thing," Richard Gerstein, Sears' chief marketing officer, told The Associated Press. "And I think that's what this book used to embody and that's why we're bringing it back."
Sears has created smaller toy-only Wish Books through a partnership with EToys.com and publishes smaller specialty catalogs focusing on categories such as tools or furniture, as well as the Lands' End catalog. But this year's Wish Book marks the first full-fledged catalog from Sears since 1993.
Half the catalog will be devoted to toys. Although Sears' officials wouldn't provide any estimates, distribution won't be as large as previous Wish Book mailings. An online version of the Wish Book will be available on Sears' web site.
Morningstar retail analyst Kim Picciola thinks the Wish Book will be favored by older customers, especially since younger consumers don't typically use catalogs.
"It's really more of a marketing tool," she told the Associated Press. "It's generating interest in the products, generating interest in possibly coming into the store."
George Hague, a senior marketing strategist with catalog consultant J. Schmid & Associates Inc., said catalogs can still drive shoppers into stores or onto web sites.
"It certainly doesn't hurt them that they have the nostalgic connection to their catalog," he said. "(But) it's not a build-it-and-they-will-shop-from-you thing."
Discussion Question: What do you think of the return of Sears Wish Book catalog? Whom do you think the catalog will appeal to? What does the return say about catalogs as a marketing tool and cross-channel traffic driver?