Something Different printed catalogue continues to impress customers

Only 4 months after Argos announced that the iconic ‘catalogue of dreams’ is to cease publication, Ikea have decided to bring the curtain down on theirs too.  It was first released as a pamphlet in 1951 by founder Ingvar Kamprad, and went on to be the world’s most-printed book.  The decision was said by the company to have been emotional.

In future, products can be found on-line or in store and reflects yet another shift in retail to on-line shopping.

Interestingly in the business-to-business sector catalogues still have a strong presence.  Screwfix, stationery suppliers, Machine Mart, RS components and many others remain committed to a ‘bible’ of products for a quick reference.

At Something Different we still produce and send out hundreds of catalogues even though we too have a superb on-line catalogue. Indeed, our on line offer is over 10 times bigger than the traditional catalogue. So why do we still go to the expense? Here are a few reasons:

1. Searching on line is very good when you know what you are looking for. But finding fresh ideas can be tricky. The catalogue can be inspirational and a chosen item can then be searched for on line where there will be more options.
2. Ideas can be marked with page markers for fast reference or for discussion with colleagues.
3. Often purchasing or marketing departments are asked for ideas and handing over a catalogue can be a very quick solution.
4. Sometimes products are bought infrequently and people forget the supplier. The catalogue is the reminder.
5. If someone leaves a department, the catalogue often remains to help the new buyer.
6. People new to Something Different via an enquiry or exhibition have a reminder that we are there to help.
7. If we take over another company as we did with Autograph Promotions recently we can use the catalogue to re-inforce the ‘business as usual’ message.

Will we ever discontinue our catalogue? We review the value of our hard-copy catalogue every year and are guided by our customers – certainly every year we ask people if they would like a copy of the next one.

The quantity reduces every year, but not by as much as you might imagine!

Click here if you would like a copy of our 2021 catalogue!