Dive Brief:

• In order to help shoppers prepare for the season, Sam's Club announced that it is launching its first holiday preview catalog. It will be mailed and posted on the retailer's website in early October, according to a company press release. 
• Sam's Club is also hosting holiday shopping events across five weekends in October, November and December — twice as many as compared to 2020. The company decided to do so after a brand survey revealed that Sam's Club members plan to shop for the holidays earlier this year, and 20% of respondents said they already began fulfilling their lists.
• The events will feature curated merchandise centered around themes such as holiday home prep and appreciation gifts, the company said. The retailer will also showcase brands such as Gap, Steve Madden and DKNY this season, as well as 25 new toy brands.

Dive Insight:

For years, retailers have invested in product catalogs to entice consumers, even in the digital age, because they are still a highly successful sales channel. A catalog can stand out amid daily marketing emails and unearth feelings of holiday nostalgia. 

Last year, as the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted the busiest time of year for retailers, about 20 values-driven brands teamed up to launch a holiday catalog in hopes of attracting new customers. Crate and Barrel, on the other hand, created a digital catalog on Pinterest featuring items like furniture, bedding and toys. It was the first year the retailer didn't send out a print version of the catalog.

While some brands have turned to catalogs as a throwback marketing tool, including direct-to-consumer companies hoping to diversify their advertising, others have done away with them in recent years. Last December, Ikea stopped making its catalog after 70 years.

For Sam's Club, the new catalog is part of the retailer's efforts to prepare for the holiday season. Beside the retailer's extended shopping events and its 35-page holiday catalog, the company is creating "unexpected moments" with celebrities, weekly demos and festive decor. The company will also feature "Merry-ville" in parking lots at five of its locations which will have an ice skating rink and special performances. 

"Our members pay to shop with us, and they deserve a special experience," Megan Crozier, chief merchant of Sam's Club, said in a statement. "Sam's Club will 'Bring the Merry' with more this holiday season – more quality items in the club and online, more value, more ways to shop and more special experiences to delight our members all season long."