Thoughts from my LL Bean Experience - part 1

NEWSFLASH: People still buy from catalogs.

IMHO, the stories of the catalog industry being dead have been greatly exaggerated. Convenience, product quality, value, fear of change…for myriad reasons that were as unique as the person I was speaking with at that moment, I was astonished (at first) at just how many were placing orders while I could hear them actually flipping through the pages of a real, honest to goodness, paper catalog. 

What I found interesting as a marketer was that the catalog they held in their hand (at that moment) represented 100% of the information that these customers used to make their purchases. And that was enough for them.

Online reviews? Stars? Thumbs Up Ratings? Comparison shopping? Price matching? Bah! Who needs it. Not these customers.

Open a catalog, look at what's new - and what's thankfully stayed the same. Find a shirt/pant/boot/jacket that you want, looks good and is sold at a fair price. I'll take it. Simple as that.

No analysis paralysis here. Don't you wish every transaction could be that easy? Today, sometimes making even the most mundane purchase online can become a frustratingly long process of second guessing whether or not you got "the best deal" ... on a couple of bars of Old Spice Deodorant.

"Should I buy 3 or a case of 36 bars?" "Should I commit to a single smell in perpetuity to save a few pennies per swipe?" "Subscribe and save?" "Free shipping or not?" "Are 3 value sized bars a better or worse deal than buying 6 full sized bars?"

By the time I've spent 10 minutes or more trying to make a decision, I still feel like I've somehow missed something. More often than not, I don't end up feeling satisfied with my purchase...even if I really did get a "good deal".

There's a point when giving customers too many choices can actually hurt your business. When a customer has to work too hard to decide that they've not overspent buying your product - no one wins. Especially when it's on relatively low-priced, everyday items.

As Thoreau would say "Our life is fritted away with details...simplify!"

By sticking to a firm pricing strategy and consistent product line ups, LL Bean has done well by keeping it simple. Other businesses - especially retailers - would do well to follow their lead.

~ TK