September 10, 2024
iStock.com/Robert Way
Will J.Crew’s Revived Catalog Create Some Buzz?
J.Crew is bringing back its beloved catalog with fanfare as it seeks to build on its recent momentum.
The catalog was quietly discontinued in 2017 at a time when sales at the chain were sliding and just after legendary merchant Mickey Drexler announced he was stepping down as CEO and Jenna Lyons, the longtime creative face of the brand, had recently left the company. By May 2020, J.Crew became the first major retailer to file for bankruptcy after the pandemic’s arrival in the face of a heavy debt load and consumer complaints over edgy designs and high prices.
The return of the catalog comes as the chain, which reached its heyday in the 1990s with its preppy staples and ubiquitous gingham shirts, is undergoing a recovery with updates on wardrobe staples and the reintroduction of some ‘90s classics like its barn jacket and rugby shirts.
Libby Wadle, J.Crew’s CEO, told the Wall Street Journal that sales are expected to reach a record $3 billion in 2024. She added, “The full-price selling is record high for us right now.”
According to a New York Post profile on J.Crew’s catalog last year, Arthur Cinader, the founder’s son, and daughter Emily Cinader reinvented the business in the early 1980s “as a catalog-only retailer, to stay competitive in a market where catalogs increasingly looked like the future.”
The catalog, full of fashion shoots showcasing models in exotic and glamorous locales, became the “uncontested leader” among popular clothing catalogs to help establish the brand, according to the article.
In her book, “The Kingdom of Prep: The Inside Story of the Rise and (Near) Fall of J.Crew,” Maggie Bullock wrote that the brand’s catalogs found a middle ground between the out-of-reach priciness of Ralph Lauren and the “folksy” charm of Lands’ End, with “models who looked like your next-door neighbors.”
Wadle shared last week at a launch event at New York Public Library, according to Vogue, “I remember in college calling the number and taking my dog-eared catalog to order my Barn Jacket and my Roll Neck Sweater, and eagerly waiting for the delivery to show up at my Boston dorm room.”
Created in partnership with Parisian-based creative design studio Atelier Franck Durand, the new catalog is being reimagined with more editorial content, including an interview with ‘90s icon and actress Demi Moore about her J.Crew vintage collection. It includes QR codes that send shoppers to the company’s app. However, it still remains aspirational, with the fall edition featuring models in Central Park and the Hamptons showcasing the label’s signature preppy aesthetic.
“J.Crew changed the landscape — not just in what it brought forward in clothing, but also in the access — of how we discovered it,” Moore, who is also on one of the four covers of the current fall issue, told PEOPLE magazine.
Only three catalogs are planned each year versus 13 previously. The catalog also isn’t being mass-mailed. Customers can either pick one up in stores or opt-in for it to arrive in their mailbox as well as view it through the app.
The return comes as several other retailers, including IKEA, Victoria’s Secret, H&M, and REI, have cut back or ditched big catalogs in recent years for other print and digital alternatives. However, as noted by the Wall Street Journal, some digital-first brands, including Jenni Kayne, Parachute, and UntuckIt, have mailed catalogs, and Amazon has been sending out a toy catalog since 2018.
Fortune wrote, “Opting for physical catalogs in a digital age might seem an odd play, but we’re in an era of nostalgia, when vinyl records and even cassette tapes are hot once more. So J.Crew is betting that by having something people can hold in their hands and dogear, it could create a bond between the shopper and customer.”
BrainTrust
Dick Seesel
Principal, Retailing In Focus LLC
Melissa Minkow
Director, Retail Strategy, CI&T
Warren Shoulberg
Senior Contributor, The Robin Report
Recent Discussions
Discussion Questions
Do you see more benefits than drawbacks for J.Crew in bringing back its catalog?
What role do you see for retailer-published catalogs at this time in history?
Poll
Loading …
Catalogue shopping isn’t the way people shop anymore. Specialty catalogues might be an exception, but not like what J. Crew is all about. The revived catalogue might create more buzz than it does, sales.
J. Crew is hardly known by consumers not of a certain age, and so the marketing and branding needs a fresh reboot but not by way of a revived catalogue. This brand has a boatload of similar competitors that are positioned much the same way for the very same markets.
Retail brands like J. Crew are better served by advertising their brand with a push to their stores, or website, and create new messaging to demonstrate what makes J. Crew an elite brand. But the catalogue will look much like all the other similar brand’s catalogues, with a me-too product mix and assortment, and similar pricing.
Pardon my yawn, and good luck to J. Crew. I might pick up a an item here and there but it will not be through a catalogue. Db
I think this creates more media noise than it does commercial success. I do think catalogues have their place and, when used properly they can drive sales – and J Crew is a visual brand that lends itself to a catalogue that folks will browse. However, the cost of producing and distributing the catalogue (along with environmental considerations) needs to be balanced against incremental sales. Especially so given that this could be done digitally. Personally I like Uniqlo’s approach which is to produce a magazine which showcases products alongside articles and other information. It makes for a more compelling and engaging read.
Quick: what’s changed since the 1990’s ? (I’ll allow skipping the list and just simplify: e-v-e-r-y-t-h-i-n-g.)
Of course everyone and their kid sister has a catalogue; I suspect what they’re really aiming for is the vaguely camouflaged lifestyle magazine (something that only half of everyone offers.) I don’t see a lot of potential here, but don’t see much harm either…just as long as too much hope isn’t placed in it.
We should have a beer sometime. We’re in violent agreement again.
While I think J.Crew is fully capable of making a strong comeback, I don’t see the catalog playing that much of a role in that. I do like though that it connects to a digital side of the business.
Great comment.
While I still receive catalogs in the mail I rarely order from them, and I don’t think I am alone. Yes, it’s nice to hold a catalog in your hands and dog ear pages but that’s what you did with the Sears catalog because it was thick. A small seasonal catalog is not the same thing.
Looking at photos of outfits is cool but I can already do that online. I don’t think the J.Crew catalog will be a game changer.
Assuming that J. Crew’s marketing budget can handle the under-the-hood stuff like the costs of mailing to a targeted customer list, I actually think this is a good idea. It’s another touch point reaching an audience that may suffer from some website fatigue and is looking for a more lifestyle-based platform for a brand they already love.
Prejudiced by the fact that I like catalogs, in the electronic age, a printed catalog is a nice complement to the other channels, but only that. I caution to monitor the cost of the catalog and to pinpoint the distribution as some consumers enjoy turning pages while others would discard a printed catalog out of hand.
Agreed. This is one of the reasons that I like the approach of customers self-selecting for the catalog, either by picking it up in-store or taking the time to register to receive it.
J.Crew’s print piece isn’t a “catalog” so much as a lifestyle brand book. Shuffling feature articles and celebrity scoops with product makes for a far more engaging read. Brand image and aspiration are critical to driving differentiation across its multi-model business (including the outlet stores that outnumber its mainline locations). With fewer than 150 regular-price stores, the lookbook is also a way to drive brand awareness with consumers who otherwise wouldn’t have access to J.Crew’s stores. This familiarity can set the hook for future digital relationships. All in all, the publication checks many boxes.
I’m sure if you took a poll, a number of people would say that they miss phone books. That doesn’t mean they’re going to use them. I don’t think this will move the needle on sales or build more engagement in any meaningful way. I’d be curious about the ROI on a project like this, given the costs of printing and mailing. There’s a reason the Sunday paper weighs less these days then even 10 years ago, and by orders of magnitude. These channels don’t really bring sales.
If you’re talking about promotion-driven sales (the kind propelled by Sunday newspaper inserts), you’re absolutely right. But if J. Crew is on to something else here — more about building more brand equity among its most devoted customers — then it’s on to something.
I agree; I was thinking more about the propensity of consumers, especially younger consumers, to pick up printed materials and read or page through them. There are some, but I suspect most will ignore.
Pretty slick move. Zig where others zag in a crowded online market. Best wishes that this old icon can reestablish itself. Also, man I wish I still had my barn-jacket from 1991. That thing was a fall/winter staple for several years.
Brilliant. Since no one else is sending them (okay LL Bean does) this is a great way to zig when everyone else is zagging, and it differentiates J. Crew in a very memorable way.
This will work for them precisely because no one else (LL Bean being the exception) is doing it.
Agreed, especially for those in their 30s who now have both disposable income and nostalgia for the catalog that was part of their formative teenage consumer years.
J Crew is betting nostalgia will lead to sales. Yes, it certainly could stir some emotion from past fans like me and trigger a sale, but in a dominant digital world, where the younger generations are completely techno-natives, I don’t see the dog ear pages making a substantial revenue impact.
Exactly
Too many companies underestimate the value of printed catalogs, so JCrew’s move is very smart. When Victoria Secret gave up its catalog a few years ago that was a big factor contributing to its steady slow decline. There’s a reason companies like RH, Williams Sonoma and so many DTC players in fashion like Viouri and Territory Ahead keep the catalogs coming. They work.
Ultimately J.Crew had no choice but to return to the catalogue business after closing many of their retail locations.
While the catalogue might be beautifully printed collateral with lifestyle content, it’s not a winning strategy, but rather an archaic solution to a modern problem.
Yes, I see more benefits than drawbacks for a J.Crew catalog, especially if played to a nostalgic note while delivering real value in terms of merchandise style and price. The youngest generation that grew up with the “classic” J.Crew, including the ubiquitous catalogs, are now in their 30s, many with jobs and disposable income available. Of course, this only works in the styles, fabrics, pricing, and aspirational tone hit the target, something that is very tough to do in today’s crowded market. I wish them well … as most professional gen-Xers are likely to do.
J.Crew’s decision to revive their catalog is definitely interesting. It’s a fun throwback, but I’m not sure it’ll grab much attention in today’s digital world. It’ll be interesting to see if this nostalgic approach actually helps J.Crew connect with their audience or if it’s just a bit of old-school flair without much impact.
More Discussions
Will the Gulf Between Walmart and Target Deepen in 2026?
Will Walmart widen its lead over Target in 2026?Are Brands Sleeping On YouTube?
Are too many brands sleeping on the potential offered up by YouTube?Should Target Be Holding the Line on Store Pay?
Should Target be freezing pay, instead focusing on increased in-store staffing?
Catalogue shopping isn’t the way people shop anymore. Specialty catalogues might be an exception, but not like what J. Crew is all about. The revived catalogue might create more buzz than it does, sales.
J. Crew is hardly known by consumers not of a certain age, and so the marketing and branding needs a fresh reboot but not by way of a revived catalogue. This brand has a boatload of similar competitors that are positioned much the same way for the very same markets.
Retail brands like J. Crew are better served by advertising their brand with a push to their stores, or website, and create new messaging to demonstrate what makes J. Crew an elite brand. But the catalogue will look much like all the other similar brand’s catalogues, with a me-too product mix and assortment, and similar pricing.
Pardon my yawn, and good luck to J. Crew. I might pick up a an item here and there but it will not be through a catalogue. Db
I think this creates more media noise than it does commercial success. I do think catalogues have their place and, when used properly they can drive sales – and J Crew is a visual brand that lends itself to a catalogue that folks will browse. However, the cost of producing and distributing the catalogue (along with environmental considerations) needs to be balanced against incremental sales. Especially so given that this could be done digitally. Personally I like Uniqlo’s approach which is to produce a magazine which showcases products alongside articles and other information. It makes for a more compelling and engaging read.
Quick: what’s changed since the 1990’s ? (I’ll allow skipping the list and just simplify: e-v-e-r-y-t-h-i-n-g.)
Of course everyone and their kid sister has a catalogue; I suspect what they’re really aiming for is the vaguely camouflaged lifestyle magazine (something that only half of everyone offers.) I don’t see a lot of potential here, but don’t see much harm either…just as long as too much hope isn’t placed in it.
We should have a beer sometime. We’re in violent agreement again.
While I think J.Crew is fully capable of making a strong comeback, I don’t see the catalog playing that much of a role in that. I do like though that it connects to a digital side of the business.
Great comment.
While I still receive catalogs in the mail I rarely order from them, and I don’t think I am alone. Yes, it’s nice to hold a catalog in your hands and dog ear pages but that’s what you did with the Sears catalog because it was thick. A small seasonal catalog is not the same thing.
Looking at photos of outfits is cool but I can already do that online. I don’t think the J.Crew catalog will be a game changer.
Assuming that J. Crew’s marketing budget can handle the under-the-hood stuff like the costs of mailing to a targeted customer list, I actually think this is a good idea. It’s another touch point reaching an audience that may suffer from some website fatigue and is looking for a more lifestyle-based platform for a brand they already love.
Prejudiced by the fact that I like catalogs, in the electronic age, a printed catalog is a nice complement to the other channels, but only that. I caution to monitor the cost of the catalog and to pinpoint the distribution as some consumers enjoy turning pages while others would discard a printed catalog out of hand.
Agreed. This is one of the reasons that I like the approach of customers self-selecting for the catalog, either by picking it up in-store or taking the time to register to receive it.
J.Crew’s print piece isn’t a “catalog” so much as a lifestyle brand book. Shuffling feature articles and celebrity scoops with product makes for a far more engaging read. Brand image and aspiration are critical to driving differentiation across its multi-model business (including the outlet stores that outnumber its mainline locations). With fewer than 150 regular-price stores, the lookbook is also a way to drive brand awareness with consumers who otherwise wouldn’t have access to J.Crew’s stores. This familiarity can set the hook for future digital relationships. All in all, the publication checks many boxes.
I’m sure if you took a poll, a number of people would say that they miss phone books. That doesn’t mean they’re going to use them. I don’t think this will move the needle on sales or build more engagement in any meaningful way. I’d be curious about the ROI on a project like this, given the costs of printing and mailing. There’s a reason the Sunday paper weighs less these days then even 10 years ago, and by orders of magnitude. These channels don’t really bring sales.
If you’re talking about promotion-driven sales (the kind propelled by Sunday newspaper inserts), you’re absolutely right. But if J. Crew is on to something else here — more about building more brand equity among its most devoted customers — then it’s on to something.
I agree; I was thinking more about the propensity of consumers, especially younger consumers, to pick up printed materials and read or page through them. There are some, but I suspect most will ignore.
Pretty slick move. Zig where others zag in a crowded online market. Best wishes that this old icon can reestablish itself. Also, man I wish I still had my barn-jacket from 1991. That thing was a fall/winter staple for several years.
Brilliant. Since no one else is sending them (okay LL Bean does) this is a great way to zig when everyone else is zagging, and it differentiates J. Crew in a very memorable way.
This will work for them precisely because no one else (LL Bean being the exception) is doing it.
Agreed, especially for those in their 30s who now have both disposable income and nostalgia for the catalog that was part of their formative teenage consumer years.
J Crew is betting nostalgia will lead to sales. Yes, it certainly could stir some emotion from past fans like me and trigger a sale, but in a dominant digital world, where the younger generations are completely techno-natives, I don’t see the dog ear pages making a substantial revenue impact.
Exactly
Too many companies underestimate the value of printed catalogs, so JCrew’s move is very smart. When Victoria Secret gave up its catalog a few years ago that was a big factor contributing to its steady slow decline. There’s a reason companies like RH, Williams Sonoma and so many DTC players in fashion like Viouri and Territory Ahead keep the catalogs coming. They work.
Ultimately J.Crew had no choice but to return to the catalogue business after closing many of their retail locations.
While the catalogue might be beautifully printed collateral with lifestyle content, it’s not a winning strategy, but rather an archaic solution to a modern problem.
Yes, I see more benefits than drawbacks for a J.Crew catalog, especially if played to a nostalgic note while delivering real value in terms of merchandise style and price. The youngest generation that grew up with the “classic” J.Crew, including the ubiquitous catalogs, are now in their 30s, many with jobs and disposable income available. Of course, this only works in the styles, fabrics, pricing, and aspirational tone hit the target, something that is very tough to do in today’s crowded market. I wish them well … as most professional gen-Xers are likely to do.
J.Crew’s decision to revive their catalog is definitely interesting. It’s a fun throwback, but I’m not sure it’ll grab much attention in today’s digital world. It’ll be interesting to see if this nostalgic approach actually helps J.Crew connect with their audience or if it’s just a bit of old-school flair without much impact.