Marshall Ward Catalogue

The Marshall Ward shopping catalogue is another part of the shop direct group. They have taken over many of the more famous brand catalogues in the last 5 years, and Marshall Ward are no exception. In reality this has probably saved them from going under because the competition in this field is intense. It mostly comes down to nulk buying power, and if you source your goods cheaper than the rest, then you have a distinct advantage. Most of the online catalogues tend to stock the same items, so the only difference they can make to affect sales is to offer them cheaper, or give the customers a wider variety that the others don't offer.

This the problem that the shop direct group must have because they own so many catalogues that sre all basically the same underneath. They all have very similar delivery options and credit agreements, just under a different name. It stands to reason why they don't just bring them all under one umbrella and have one huge catalogue that sells everything you could ever want. There is one very good reason why they don't, the catalogue would just be too big to use for customers. It would not be practical to search through so much stuff, even online, but can you imagine how big the paper copy catalogue would need to be? You wouldn't be able to lift it, never mind spend hours searching through it to find things. So that is why we have so many catalogues, and that is just fine for all shoppers to handle.

Back to the Marshall Ward catalogue, and it has one oustanding feature that none of the other shop direct catalogues have, which is a digital version of their catalogue. It looks just like a normal catalogue and you urn the pages by placing your mouse on the bottom right corner, just like you would turn a paper page. This is a very smart idea, and adds some excellent interaction which is bound to impress customers and casual visitors to the site. On each page you will see the items, and on the far right you can click for each department, and go to it just like turning the pages of a book. You can even click on any item on the page to get a better look at it in more detail.

Elsewhere you have the usual womens and mens sections, electronics, appliances, toys and games, furniture, home ware, jewellery and gifts. Not surprisngly the choice is very big, with many ranges to choose from, and some top name clothing designers and electronics makers. Monthly deals and interest free credit adverts are everywhere, and these are smack in the middle of the homepage to grab attention. 3 for 2 offers can also be found on selected items. It is just like looking at the Kays catalogue in reality, you have the same clothing lines, the same amount of goods in each deparment, the same delivery and payment options, even the same pictures and promotions. It is a big disappointment really because you basically have the same catalogue under a different name. You could of course turn this around and say that the Kays catalogue is the same as the Marshall Ward catalogue.

I believe that shop direct could do more to make them different, and they really should do something about it. I know it would take time to establish new ranges and suppliers, but they have been the same for a while now. Perhaps a merger should take place, and just drop one of the names in favour of the other. I doubt this would happen because there are many loyal shoppers who have dealt with these catalogues for many years, and it is the brand name that makes the difference.

You don't get the same reward benefits like you do with Kays, but you do get the collection+ service and free next day delivery, so there are some differences. As for the different departments, well there is a good choice of electronics, such as mobile phones, laptops and televisions. Cheap cell phone batteries are even stocked if you look hard enough. Some good bundle deals are also on offer like free games with certain consoles, or free dvd players with selected tv's. You can even pre order the latest video games so you get them as fast as possible.

he speical offers section doea have more products in it the most other catalogues, with over 30% off fashion brands and electrical items. You have the introductory offer of £10 off your first order if you spend more than £25, and you can order a paper copy catalogue from the web site if you like flicking through real pages and not electronic one's. Marshall Ward do have a few celebrity endorsements from Sienna Miller and Claudia Schiffer, who have their own small ranges. This does add a bit of class to the catalogue, and keeps customers happy.

All told the Marshall Ward Catalogue is a good one. A well respected brand name built on many years of providing good service and wide ranging items to suit all tastes and wallet sizes. In all honesty it does need changing to be unique and stand out from the other shop direct catalogues. It seems to have lost some of its identity, and that is a shame really. It still does very well, and will contiune to do so with its big backers and their money investments.