The decline of the catalogue and the rise of ecommerce is charted in a trading statement from Findel today.
The home shopping-to-education business reported a 10.8% sales rise at its largest business, the predominantly online retailer Express Gifts, in the first half of its financial year, compared to the same time last year. Meanwhile its door-to-door catalogue business Kleeneze is seeing sales steadily decline, down by 3.4% in the 26 weeks to September 27, according to today’s interim trading statement.
Findel puts the decline down to a change in catalogue timing – the Christmas catalogue is out later this year than last. But the figures seem to underline the relative inflexibility of print catalogues compared to online.
Also down were sales at multichannel Kitbag, some 6.9% below the same time last year as sports took a lower profile in the public consciousness this year than last, in the absence of the European Football Championships and the Olympics.
Overall, first-half sales at Findel were 5.2% up on last year, supported also by education supplies sales up by 8.2%.
Looking to the future, the company said in today’s statement: “Express Gifts has yet again delivered a strong performance and the education supplies division’s strengthening continues. We are therefore well positioned ahead of our important peak trading period.”
