Why Can’t Show Vendors Give Out a CD Instead of a Catalog?
I know it’s been a month or so since the JCK show—but I still haven’t emptied my bag full of catalogs. It’s sitting in a corner in my office and I just don’t feel like taking out the zillion catalogs I stuffed in there. Not only were they heavy as hell to carry back—plus, now you’re only allowed to carry one bag per person and it can only weigh 501bs—we all know those catalogs weigh a ton and every year my catalog collection gets bigger and bigger. Of course, as soon as I get back to the store after previewing them—most of them get trashed. Why haven’t most vendors decided to make CD’s? First off CD’s are much cheaper. Second of all, they are easier to store then big bulky catalogs and third of all I’d probably keep more of them because they take up less room. In addition, I wished the Luxury/Premiere Catalog as well as the JCK Directory had a CD. The little pocket planners are great when I’m walking around the show but I hate bringing that huge book back with me. I’d love to bring a CD back. In addition, getting a CD at the show means I could put it on my computer and send the vendor’s booth numbers to my PDA. I’d love to have their booth numbers in my phone—one less thing to carry.
So, to all the vendors out there are we going to see CD’s next year instead of catalogs?
Charlie Weisel commented:
This website keeps cutting off my comments at the quotation mark.
One last try: (second part of my previous comment) ... Who wants to
show customers a catalog that says 3 Key Pricing and a toll free
number at the bottom of every page? Another helpful thing that only
a few wholesalers/manufacturers do is show retail prices in their
catalogs at the prices of the metals when the catalog was created,
and also give the retailer a formula (in a separate document) to
calculate the price difference at the current gold price. It makes
closing sales easier if you don't have to call the manufacturer or
go to their website. The savvy manufacturers who view thins from
the retailer's point of view are the most successful in the long
term. No one can afford to be unaware of computer and internet
technology in today's world, or the retail customers will pass them
by. Some of my best ideas come from customers now. (email:
info@sabyls.com)
Charlie Weisel commented:
(second part of my previous comment) ... Who wants to show
customers a catalog that says "
Charlie Weisel commented:
Both answers are right. I like CDs for high quality photography,
but I find that catalogs are very convenient for face to face
customer meetings. The smartest manufacturers will offer both, and
also have the photos on their websites with current retail prices
and only allow registered jewelers to see wholesale prices after
logging in to the website. Stuller is probably the best examples of
all 3 of these resources. The main thing that manufacturers need to
learn is not to list their contact information in their catalogs,
and not to show any information that reveals the jeweler's cost.
Who wants to show customers a catalog that says "
CataDisc commented:
CataDisc is a CD catalog with a search engine; products can be seen
in 3D rather than flat on a page in a paper catalog...a truly
interactive, multimedia catalog experience that can be viewed
without a web browser or Internet connection.
JACK800 commented:
Your complaints against catalogs are valid for your specific
experience. But lugging catalogs at a trade show isn’t their
intended use. At the show, ask your suppliers to send catalogs to
your store. Most catalogs are shipped to their destination and used
interactively in a sales environment; at the sales counter with
your customer or in your office with your staff or supplier.
Catalogs are extremely efficient at providing visual reference and
random access to products and information. Thumb through the pages,
stop and scan, or jump to another page all with a common user
interface called the printed page. CD’s though small and
lightweight require a computer and an appropriate display device.
After loading the CD, bringing up the “user interface”,
and mentally trying to correlate an inquiry to the CD’s
contents, there is typically no quick and easy method to scan or
skim the products.
cata1234 commented:
I believe most companies don't have CD catalogs because they don't
where to have them developed. CataDisc is an interactive,
multimedia shoppable catalog on CDs that offers the consumer four
secure ways to order. You can learn more about CataDisc at
www.catadisc.com.
