DAWN OF THE CATALOG: 1774 – 1894
In these nascent days, catalogs had yet to see mass distribution. Mostly they were used by farmers who wanted
access to different types of seeds. Selection was very limited.
NOTABLE DATES:
EXAMPLE:
CONSUMER:
1744: Benjamin Franklin invents the
mail-order catalog.
1845: Tiffany and Co. releases the first
mail-order catalog in North America.
1872: Aaron Montgomery Ward credited
with starting the mail-order industry.
Montgomery Ward, Tiffany and Co.
People had limited access to goods,
relying mostly on the general store
where prices varied day to day and
from person to person. Catalogs would
soon change this.
THE CATALOG GOES CORPORATE: 1894 – 1980s
The Sears & Roebuck catalog changed the game in many ways. It gave people unprecedented and convenient
access to hundreds of goods at a fixed price. The “Whole Earth Catalog” further evolved the catalog by adding in
stories and context to the products.
NOTABLE DATES:
1894: Sears launches its first mail-order
catalog, expanding it rapidly in the next
10 years.
1968: The first Whole Earth Catalog is
published.
EXAMPLE:
CONSUMER:
Sears, Roebuck & Co, Whole
Earth Catalog
People had limited buying power with
limited vendors to choose from.
THE RISE OF LIFESTYLE CATALOGS: 1980s – 1990s
With these lifestyle catalogs, which were curated by retailers (that quickly became brands), products ranged from
staples to seasonal “one-time” items. These catalogs were no longer stand-alone experiences, but some retailers
coordinated their catalogs to go with the assortment in their brick-and-mortar stores.
NOTABLE DATES:
1980s: The golden age of mail-order
catalogs for lifestyle products.
EXAMPLE:
CONSUMER:
JCrew, Lands End, LL Bean, Talbots
People received multiple catalogs,
which allowed them to comparison shop
among different brands.
THE CATALOG GOES ONLINE: 1990s – PRESENT
In the late 1990s and early 2000s, the rise of multi-channel retail gave way to online catalogs and the birth of
showrooming. These catalogs gave consumers the convenience of researching availability of products and sizes,
posting reviews, and making purchases either online or in-store. Retailers had much more data at their fingertips
and were also able to cross-sell and upsell using algorithm-powered recommendation engines.
NOTABLE DATES:
1995: Amazon sells its first book, giving
rise to a future of dynamic product
catalogs.
EXAMPLE:
CONSUMER:
AliBaba, Amazon, BestBuy.com,
Rakuten,
People can actively compare
products and prices among many
different catalogs.
THE CATALOG GETS CURATED: 2012 – PRESENT
Before this time, catalogs were curated by brands or retailers who could feature the products they wanted to
highlight and sell. But with advances in technology, catalogs are now curated by users, many of whom are
influencers. These catalogs have products from a variety of brands and retailers.
NOTABLE DATES:
2012: Wanelo is created, giving
consumers a whole new way to find
products they want.
EXAMPLE:
CONSUMER:
Fancy, Pinterest, Storenvy, Wanelo
People have many different
catalogs to choose from. They are no
longer limited to product descriptions
and offerings from only retailers and
brands, but they can turn to people
they admire or respect.
THE INFINITE CATALOG: 2016+
Right now, we are transitioning to a world where everything is connected and retailers are moving beyond
yesterday’s view on catalogs. Soon, bots and AI will dynamically and proactively find products anywhere on the
web. The catalog will no longer be a destination, but a system of structured product information that machines
search through and that anticipates exactly what shoppers need and want.
SMART TV
NOTABLE DATES:
2016: Amazon releases Alexa, its
AI-enabled shopping assistant.
WWW.INDIX.COM
EXAMPLE:
CONSUMER:
Alexa, Mezi, Mona
People can search using social media,
voice, words, and images to
find what they want and get curated
retail experiences.