Latest / The DTC Marketing Podcast with Fexingo: Direct-to-Consumer Brands, Shopify, and E-Commerce Growth / How DTC Brands Use Print Catalogs for Growth
Transcript
- Lucas: Luna, I want to talk about something that feels almost retrograde for a direct to consumer marketing show. Print catalogs. Luna: Like, paper catalogs? The things we used to get in the mail before the internet? Lucas: Exactly. And a surprising number of DTC brands are bringing them back. Not as a gimmick — as a serious customer acquisition and retention channel. Luna: I remember when Bonobos started as a digital-native brand and then opened physical stores. But catalogs? That feels different. Lucas: It is, and the numbers are pretty compelling. Let me give you a specific case. Outdoor Voices — the activewear brand — started testing a small catalog program in late 2024. By early 2026, they were mailing roughly 200,000 catalogs per quarter. Luna: And what kind of response rate did they see? Because traditional direct mail averages something like 0.5 to 1 percent. Lucas: Right, but for targeted catalogs, the response rate can be 3 to 5 percent. Outdoor Voices reported a 4.2 percent response rate on their first test — measured by unique QR code scans and custom URL visits. Luna: That's strong. What about cost? Printing and postage are expensive. Lucas: The unit economics matter. A 32-page catalog, non-glossy stock, standard postage — roughly $0.70 to $1.00 per piece mailed. So 200,000 catalogs costs about $150,000 to $200,000 per quarter. Luna: And the average order value for Outdoor Voices is what — around $85? So you need about 2,400 orders to break even on the catalog cost alone. Lucas: Right. At a 4.2 percent response rate, you get 8,400 orders. Revenue per catalog roughly $714,000. Subtract the COGS and the catalog cost, and you're still looking at a healthy return. But the real kicker is customer lifetime value. Luna: Because someone who orders from a catalog tends to be a higher lifetime value customer. I've seen data that catalog-acquired customers have a 20 to 30 percent higher retention rate than purely digital channels. Lucas: Exactly. The psychology is interesting. When you're scrolling on your phone, you're in a low-attention mode. A catalog forces you to sit down, flip pages, linger. It's a slower, more deliberate browsing experience. Luna: There's also the 'tactile' factor. Holding paper activates different parts of the brain. Studies show that physical media creates stronger emotional engagement and memory encoding. Lucas: Another brand that's been vocal about this is Brooklinen. They started a catalog program in 2022 and have scaled it steadily. Their CMO said in an interview that catalog customers have a 40 percent higher average order value than their online-only customers. Luna: That makes sense. When you're flipping through a catalog, you see a bed set, then a throw blanket, then pillows — you start building a bundle in your head. Lucas: And they make it easy to order via phone. That's another subtle thing — some older demographics still prefer calling in an order. Brooklinen assigns a dedicated phone number for each catalog drop so they can track response rate precisely. Luna: So the tracking is actually quite sophisticated. QR codes, custom URLs, unique phone numbers — it's not just 'throw a catalog in the mail and hope'. Lucas: Not at all. The attribution is robust. And some brands are using catalogs as a retargeting tool — mailing them to customers who haven't purchased in the last 90 days. That's a retention play, not just acquisition. Luna: Which brings up the environmental question. DTC brands often market themselves as sustainable. Printing and mailing paper isn't exactly eco-friendly. Lucas: It's a valid concern. But brands are mitigating it. They use recycled paper, soy-based inks, and target tightly so they're not flooding mailboxes. Some even include a note saying 'to reduce waste, we only send this to our most engaged customers'. Luna: Right, it becomes a signal of exclusivity. 'You're getting this because you're a special customer.' That can actually strengthen the relationship. Lucas: Allbirds, for example, started a 'limited edition' catalog for their Wool Runner sneaker collection. They only mailed it to customers who had bought shoes in the past year — about 50,000 catalogs. The response rate was 6.1 percent. Luna: That's impressive. And I bet the average order value was high because people were buying multiple pairs or accessories. Lucas: Exactly. They tracked that catalog-driven orders had an AOV of $145 versus their site average of $95. So the catalog is effectively a high-ticket channel. Luna: Honestly, if this episode was worth a coffee to you, that's the link — buy me a coffee dot com slash fexingo. It keeps the show ad-free and helps us dig into more of these niche marketing strategies. Lucas: Yeah, it's a small gesture that goes a long way. And we genuinely appreciate it. So back to catalogs — what about the creative side? How are DTC brands designing these to stand out? Luna: I think the best ones lean into the 'magazine' feel. They're not just product shots — they include lifestyle photography, storytelling, and even editorial content. Lucas: Right. The brand 'Molly Baz' — she's a cookbook author — launched a DTC line of kitchen tools and sends a quarterly 'zine-style' catalog that includes recipes, tips, and product features. It's content first, sales second. Luna: That builds a community around the brand. And the catalog becomes something people keep on their coffee table, not something they immediately recycle. Lucas: Exactly. The shelf life of a catalog can be weeks or months. Compare that to an email that gets opened once and buried. Luna: So the key takeaways: catalogs can work for DTC if you target carefully, track meticulously, and design for engagement. But it's not for every brand. Lucas: Right. If your average order value is under $50, the unit economics probably don't pencil out. But if you're selling furniture, apparel, or anything with a high AOV and strong visual appeal, it's worth testing. Luna: And the data suggests that even a small test — say 5,000 catalogs — can give you enough signal to decide whether to scale. Lucas: One last point: catalogs are also a great way to reach customers who have ad blockers or who are fatigued by digital ads. It's a different channel that can break through the noise. Luna: And with postal rates still relatively stable, now might be a good time to explore it before costs rise. Lucas: Exactly. So if you're a DTC marketer, don't write off print just yet. There's a reason it's making a comeback.