Past CatalogSuccess.com Poll Results

How's the first quarter of 2009 been for you?   

20% We planned for flat to a slight increase and should make budget
20% We planned for flat to a slight increase and probably won't make budget
20% We planned for a decent size increase and should make budget
0% We planned for a decent size increase and will come up short
40% We planned for flat to a slight decrease and, well, don't ask

What kind of effect do you believe President Obama's $787 billion stimulus package will have on your catalog/multichannel business?

8% It will help spur consumer spending and be a great thing for my business
40% I'm optimistic that it'll help, but I have to see the results first
52% I think it's a waste of taxpayers’ money and won't succeed

Your Holiday 2008 returns were …

0% More than Holiday 2007                                                               33% Less than Holiday 2007                                                                   67% About the same

What kind of position did Holiday 2008 leave you in for 2009?

23% We're looking healthy for 2009                                                       35% Our goal is to break even in 2009                                                 42% We may not make it through the year

Which of these social media sites, if any, does your catalog/multichannel company most actively market through?

13% Facebook                                                                                    4% MySpace                                                                                           0% Twitter                                                                                           42% LinkedIn                                                                                          4% Other                                                                                              29% None, but we're exploring this                                                      8% N/A to us 

With parcel shipping costs on the rise and more multichannel marketers offering free shipping, how’s your shipping and handling bottom line holding up?

20% We break even                                                                               20% We lose money in S&H                                                                    60% S&H fees are a profit center for us

Since Jan. 1, 2008, what portion of your overall operating costs have you been able to cut?

57% 0-5%
29% 6-15%
0% 16-25%
14% more than 25%

Do you still consider the catalog trade a unique business (or “industry”) form in and of itself? Or have e-commerce and multichannel consolidation transformed it into just another portion of the overall retail industry?

50% Still its own business/industry
29% Small part of the retail business
21% I’m too busy running my company and couldn’t care less

Regarding part-time holiday staffing this year ...

27% We plan to increase staff
36% We’re going to bring on fewer people
36% We’ll be at about the same head count as last year

I’m a catalog/multichannel marketer and I ...

41% Attended last week’s Annual Conference for Catalog & Multichannel Merchants (ACCM) and have gone to most or all of them in the past
9% Attended the ACCM for the first time
23% Did not attend, but I have gone to most of them in the past
27% Did not attend and rarely or never have gone to past ACCMs either

To which channel do you allocate the most marketing dollars?

67% Catalog
20% Web
7% Retail
7% Other

Are your catalogs printed on recycled paper?

0% Yes, from 100 percent postconsumer recycled paper
47% Yes, partially from postconsumer recycled paper
12% No, but we plan to switch to some form of recycled paper later this year
41% No, we currently have no plans to switch to recycled paper

I got into the catalog/multichannel business, because I...

6% was prepared, having earned an MBA
0% got the job through a family connection
11% responded to a want ad
83% just got here totally by accident

What’s your biggest worry this year in light of the slow economy?

52% Lack of sales
13% Rising printing and mailing costs
17% An inability to prospect aggressively
17% Having to cut staff
0% Other

On an overall staff-wide basis, what are your company’s plans for attending this year’s catalog/multichannel-related conferences, compared to last year?

27% We’re sending more people to conferences
18% We’re sending fewer people
36% We’re sending the same number of people
18% We’re skipping all the conferences this year

How many catalog co-op databases, if any, do you use?

20% 1
10% 2
30% 3
30% 4
10% more than 4
0% none

On Feb. 11, the USPS announced a CPI-capped postal rate hike effective this May. The 0.86 percent increase for non-carrier route flats is a far cry from what the category saw with last year’s hike. What’s your reaction?

15% Relief. It won’t affect us
15% Mixed feelings. We’ll make further adjustments to mail profitably
54% Outrage. We still haven’t recovered from last year’s increase
15% Encouraged. A step in the right direction for catalogers

Compared to last year, what’s your total employee headcount, including part-timers?

23% Greater than February 2007
62% Less than February 2007
15% Exactly the same

What’s your sales growth projection for 2008?

70% We’re planning for better growth than last year
10% Comparable growth
10% Slower growth
10% Flat, no growth

Our holiday 2007 return rate is …

11% Worse (more items returned) than holiday 2006
56% Better (fewer)
33% About the same

Beyond Mail Preference
Do you accept catalog opt-out requests from third-party groups, such as the recently formed Catalog Choice, or do you rely strictly on the DMA’s Mail Preference Service (MPS)?

40% MPS only
40% We’ll honor any requests that come to us
20% Just one or two non-DMA opt-out services

Product Sourcing
From which country or region do you source the majority of your products?

44% Far East
33% U.S.
0% Europe
22% Another region

Catalog/Web Holiday Season Budgeting
How do your holiday 2007 season print and Web marketing budgets differ from holiday ‘06?

33% Allocating more money on Web marketing, less on print catalog mailings
11% Allocating more on print, less on Web
44% Allocating more on all marketing channels
0% Allocating less on all marketing channels
11% No change from last year

What Others Do
Who do you pay closest attention to?

53% My closest competitors
35% Any and all multichannel marketers
0% Just the financials of the public companies
12% Nobody in particular

Have you ever run a free shipping & handling promotion?

40% Yes, and it worked great
26% Yes, but it worked out marginally at best
14% Yes, but it failed miserably
14% No, but would like to try it
5% No, and I have no desire to try it

There’s momentum building among states for “Do-Not-Mail” legislation, similar to the “Do-Not-Call” law. Following just four states last year, 15 states this year have introduced proposals for “Do-Not-Mail” legislation. How does that strike you?

0% I’ve contacted my congressman
24% I’ve been in touch with my trade associations
12% I’ll let others deal with it
12% I doubt anything will become of it
53% I wasn’t aware of it

The year is two-thirds over. How are your sales this year compared to your original projections?

6% Well ahead
29% Slightly ahead
24% Right on plan
41% Slightly below
0% Missing our projections badly

How long has it been since you performed a major overhaul on your Web site?

64% 0-2 years
14% 3-5 years
14% We’re long overdue
7% We’ve never needed to overhaul it

Do you have separate e-commerce and print catalog marketing divisions or are they both in the same department?

35% Separate
65% Together

Since this past January, by how much have you been able to cut your overall cost of doing business in light of the May postage increase?

45% 0-5%
0% 6-10%
9% 11-20%
9% 21% or greater
36% Costs have gone up

How will your holiday season (or other peak season) hiring compare to last year?

25% We intend to hire more part-timers in our fufillment center
0% We’ll hire fewer part-timers
75% We’ll hire about the same

Have you joined, or are you planning to join, the recently formed American Catalog Mailers Association?

22% Yes
15% No
63% I don’t know what it is

Do you do any business with foreign customers?

40% Yes, we mail catalogs abroad and aggressively market to foreign customers
10% Yes, though Canada is as far as we go
25% Yes, but only when the orders trickle in on our Web site or our toll-free line
10% No, we don’t accept any orders from outside of North America
15% No, we don’t accept any orders from outside the U.S.

What changes have you made in your catalog make-up and plans so far to offset the May 14 postage increase?

0% We switched to a lighter catalog paper weight
17% We reduced the trim-size of our catalog
0% We found some co-mailing opportunities
17% We did all of the above
67% We’ve done nothing yet

How well capitalized is your catalog/multichannel company right now?

67% We have plenty of capital to run our daily operations
22% We’re just barely at breakeven and will likely need to get more capital soon
11% We’re undercapitalized and are seeking one or more investor

On an overall staff-wide basis, what are your company’s plans for attending this year’s catalog/multichannel-related conferences, compared to last year?

20% We’re sending more people to conferences
70% We’re sending fewer people to conferences
10% No change from last year

If the postal rate increase is enacted in May with the rates recommended by the Postal Regulatory Commission, how prepared is your company financially?

5% Very prepared
71% Working up an aggressive cost-cutting plan right now to make this work
24% Totally unprepared; we have no idea what we’ll do

How were your holiday returns compared to holiday ’05?

11% We received more returns
11% We received fewer returns
33% About the same
11% We’re still receiving returns

By how much are you changing your budget for paid search this year compared to last year?

75% Increasing 1 percent to 10 percent
0% Increasing 11 percent or greater
25% Same as last year
0% Less than last year’s level

Compared to holiday 2005, did the majority of your holiday 2006 orders come in:

27% earlier
36% later
36% within the same time period

Compared to holiday 2005, how many gift cards have you sold this holiday season?

25% More
25% Fewer
25% About the same amount
25% We don’t offer gift cards

What is your sales projection for Holiday 2006 compared to last year?

50% up 0% - 10%
13% up 11% - 20%
13% up 21% or greater
13% flat
13% down

Are you preparing for the 2007 postal rate increase?

80% yes
20% no

With regard to holiday season promotions, this year will you run:

46% more than last year
8% fewer
46% the same

How, if at all, will your holiday season catalog circulation levels change?

43% mailing more catalogs than last year
14% fewer
43% the same

Next year, the portion of private label products offered in your catalog and Web site (as a whole) will be...

0% more
0% less
100% about the same

How did your part-time fulfillment center staff change this holiday season, compared to holiday 2005?

50% We’ve employed more part-timers this year
0% We’ve employed fewer part-timers this year
50% We’ve employed the same number of part-timers