UK HOME SHOPPING MARKET CONTINUES TO GROW
Changing social behaviour means that shopping is one of a range of leisure activities and high street shoppers are increasingly reluctant to carry their purchases home with them as they head for the cinema or golf course.
Rather they are increasingly looking to home delivery to get their products home. However, the major drivers of growth are expected to be:
- growing penetration of the Internet in the UK
,
- the launch of new niche catalogues by entrepreneurs e.g. Boden
- the growth of home shopping ventures from the major supermarket chains e.g. Tesco
- multi-channel retail development by established retailers e.g. John Lewis
- the development of interactive television services e.g. Thomas Cook
IS THIS GOOD NEWS FOR LITTLEWOODS DIRECT
The 'Big 4' mail order catalogue companies - GUS (Kays, Great Universal, Marshall Ward, Additions, etc), Littlewoods (inc Littlewoods Direct), Otto (Freemans, Grattan, Oli) and Redcats (Empire Direct,
La Redoute), have been negativley affected by this increased competition within the home shopping catalogue market place, and more importantly the readily available credit to buy goods via credit and store cards. The traditional "Agency" catalogue shopper now has more choice of both good and credit terms.
Littlewoods Catalogue is responding to these challenges by reducing prices, and updating there products lines, are they improving?
However, not to be left behind by the "new" kids on the block such as Next, the traditional companies
are fighting back with their own "Direct Catalogues" the biggest and best being
Littlewoods Direct, now renamed
Very.
Very catalogue offers the
widest choice of brands all in one place, with 24 hour delivery, 14 days to try and free returns, credit
acount options.
Go to
Littlewoods Direct at catalogue connection to get view the highlights and special offers available from the current catalogue online. This site also reviews all the home shopping mail order catalouge websites available in the UK.
ON-LINE AUCTION SITES
The advent of online auction sites such as ebay, has enbled customers to sell unwanted catalogue products, it has also allowed catalogues to "sell-off" stock at cheaper prices.
Click this link to find current listings for
Littlewoods products on ebay
Magic Knickers
In 2007, Littlewoods used the TV style gurus
Trinny and Susannah to re-launch the brand Littlewoods Direct and promote Littlewoods.com whilst giving the brands a fashion overhall, and the strapline "Famous for Big Brands"
In 2009, Littlewoods Direct was rebranded into Very catalogue.
