Fresh data from Salmat has revealed that catalogue volumes were up 10 per cent this past Christmas, which is somewhat of a surprise given the modern love reserved for technology.

Comparing volumes from December 2014 to 2015, the biggest increase was in NSW with 18 per cent growth, followed by Victoria and Queensland with four per cent growth each.

Salmat chief marketing officer Sarah Pike said, “Catalogue was the advertising medium of choice this Christmas, with many Australian retailers increasing their investment to capitalise on the expected increase in consumer spending this season.

“A bulk of our catalogue growth came from existing catalogue clients, as they are the ones that know just how cost-effective this channel is for acquiring news customers and converting sales. Catalogue has always been a favourite for Australian retailers and consumers alike, and this new data points to a continuation of this trend.”

Retailers also increased their investment in digital catalogues, with a stack of brands now using digital platforms to extend the life of a catalogue through digital catalogues on Universal Catalogue and Lasoo while expanding distribution to social media, electronic direct mails and Google product search.

Currently, catalogues reach more Aussies than any other medium, according to the 2014 / 2015 Australasian Catalogue Association Industry Report. Around 19.7 million Australians read catalogues compared to 16.4 million for newspapers, 8 million for TV, 10.1 million for radio and 13.8 million for magazines.

Catalogues are also proven to be highly engaging and with over three quarters of Australians having read a catalogue in the last month. While 80 per cent of people reading these retro catalogues are ‘just browsing’, 59 per cent actually end up buying something from the book.