The turn-the-page Web catalog—tested widely in the 2000s as an alternative to e-commerce sites—once looked like an emerging shopping platform led by now-defunct tech providers such as RichFX. But the concept died on the proverbial vine. With the massive proliferation of tablets, however, the digital catalog finally made sense as people could enjoy magazine-like flipping through screens on iPads and Kindles. Catalog Spree offers iPad versions of catalogs from more than 350 retailers such as Target, Nordstrom and Toms, and its app has been downloaded roughly a million times since making its debut in 2010. (It appears to lead this niche, though competing for iPad users with brands such as Catalogue.) Catalog Spree shared exclusive data with Adweek about what it's seeing during the holidays so far, offering a glimpse into how shopping habits are changing due to tablets. It says the post-Thanksgiving readership of its catalogs has jumped 40 percent on iPads compared to the same period in 2012. And product clicks are up 102 percent for 2013 holidays compared to last year, per the Los Altos, Calif.-based vendor. The app is apparently sticky, too, garnering an average of 25 minutes per visitor, according to the company. The firm credits part of the lift to implementing mobile links firm Sparq, which optimizes the catalog experiences to a device level for consumers who open Catalog Spree's email promotions or mobile-based ads. Other intriguing Catalog Spree info: Usage is often... Continue reading at 'AdWeek'
[ AdWeek | 2013-12-20 00:00:00 UTC ]