West Marine finds that e-mail catalogs may convert catalog shoppers

Some multi-channel retailers are trying out e-mail catalogs to see if consumers will change their ordering habits. Monterey, CA-based boating supply company West Marine tested Mobular Technologies` online catalog product, which compresses catalog pages using computer coding, with 4,000 customers. The new e-mail catalogs have had positive results so far, Tony Gasparich, vice president of Internet, tells internetretailer.com.

"Half of the customers we sent the e-mail catalog to were catalog customers and half were online customers. The objective was to see if we could convert catalog customers to online shopping," he says. "We are finding that some catalog customers still like the catalog but the response rate to the online catalog was still above average." He declines to be specific about response rates. While the technology is promising he says the jury is still out. West Marine is testing the online catalog product through the end of the year.