Australia has a unique tradition of household letterbox distribution, which far outstrips other media options in cost effectiveness and sheer popularity with retailers and consumers alike.

Retailers know how powerful home delivered catalogues can be, and this is evidenced by their popularity as the significant medium of choice.

Consumers tell us that they are retaining catalogues longer and using them more often when making their household purchase decisions.

Due to its effectiveness, catalogue advertising is the one medium that has provided spectacular and continued growth over the last decade.

As most catalogues have a cut-off date, it's important that retailers are certain of getting their message to their target audience at the right time.

Neither the electronic media nor magazines can hope to provide the economy, the immediacy and the tight targeting of store catchment areas that a catalogue campaign provides.

The Australian catalogue industry supports a workforce of 180.000 people and represents an advertising expenditure over $2 Billion.

In 2008, it is anticipated that 8 Billion catalogues, distributed primarily through household letterboxes, were produced by retailers.

Since its inception, the Australian Catalogue Association has undertaken a number of research projects designed to assess consumers' attitudes to catalogues and letterbox marketing and to monitor catalogue advertising effectiveness.

New consumer research conducted by Sweeney and economic benefits research completed by Castalia has been commissioned and funded by the member companies of the ACA. It has been provided by the industry to assist catalogue marketers and their advertising agencies in making critical media decisions related to readership, scheduling and mix.

Click Here and here to view this new research.