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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 19, 2010
Media Contact: Dave Lewin
(O) 202-268-2155
(C) 202-255-2421
dlewin@usps.gov
usps.com/news
Release No. 10-069

Print Catalogs Deliver Digital Orders

Campaign Shows Online Retailers How to Go Beyond the Web to Double Sales

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Postal Service is reaching out to e-tailers with a campaign showcasing the power of catalogs with the potential to double online transactions and achieve revenue lift of over 100 percent by creating print extensions of their Internet shopping websites.

“Getting Started in Catalogs” is a USPS promotional campaign featuring a “Catalogs and e-tailing” instructional DVD and a live webinar series. The DVD features testimonials from widely recognized companies such as Dell and Zappo’s, who built their businesses into market leaders within their respective industries by adding catalogs to the marketing mix.

The first of three free webinars takes place July 20, with tutorials on catalog production and the smartest and most cost-efficient ways to produce a catalog. Additional webinars will be held July 28 and Aug. 24. Follow-up support from sales personnel with the Postal Service also is available.

“Putting a focused, attractive catalog in the hands of your customers has a unique ability to engage their attention, and prompts them to browse your site and place orders,” said Steve Hernandez, acting vice president, Sales. “For e-tailers looking to push their sales to the next level, catalogs are a proven medium for delivering transactions and enhancing customer loyalty.”

A market study by comScore shows that among visitors to retail websites, twice as many catalog recipients made a purchase as those who did not receive a catalog – more than doubling the online conversion rate. A revenue increase of 163 percent resulted from a comparison of purchases and money spent by catalog recipients versus those who did not receive a catalog in the comScore study, and 28 percent more items were ordered by catalog recipients.

Customers can learn more about growing their businesses through the use of catalogs, order a free DVD, and register to attend the free webinars at:http://www.usps.com/promotions/catalogs.htm.

Ordering the DVD and registering for the webinars also is available through a targeted direct mail campaign incorporating Business Reply Mail, along with Web ads appearing in online retailer publications.

The Postal Service receives no tax dollars for operating expenses, and relies on the sale of postage, products and services to fund its operations.

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Please Note: For broadcast quality video and audio, photo stills and other media resources, visit the USPS Newsroom at www.usps.com/communications/newsroom/welcome.htm.

A self-supporting government enterprise, the U.S. Postal Service is the only delivery service that reaches every address in the nation, 150 million residences, businesses and Post Office Boxes. The Postal Service receives no direct support from taxpayers. With 36,000 retail locations and the most frequently visited website in the federal government, the Postal Service relies on the sale of postage, products and services to pay for operating expenses. Named the Most Trusted Government Agency five consecutive years and the sixth Most Trusted Business in the nation by the Ponemon Institute, the Postal Service has annual revenue of more than $68 billion and delivers nearly half the world’s mail. If it were a private sector company, the U.S. Postal Service would rank 28th in the 2009 Fortune 500.