Dear Catalog CEOs: We're Multi-Channel

Dear Catalog CEOs:

One of you recently said something to me that caused me to pause for a moment.  Here's the quote.

• "Kevin, you keep calling us catalogers.  We're not catalogers anymore.  We're multichannel merchants.  Why do you do that?"

Oh boy.

I do that because you are catalogers.

Would a retail brand say that they are not a retail brand because they have had a website for the past thirteen years?

Would an e-commerce brand say they aren't an e-commerce brand because they added a social commerce component to their tool set?  Or because they enabled commerce on Facebook?

Be proud of yourself.

Be confident.

Name one customer, yes, a customer, who calls you a "multichannel merchant".  Go ahead, find one ... I'll wait right here while you go look for just one customer who would voluntarily call you a "multichannel merchant" ...


You are a cataloger.