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| No | 30% | 31 votes | Total: 105 votes | |
| Yes | 70% | 74 votes |
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Add to FavoritesNo, not technically.
There are still catalogs being sent out and people worried about using their credit card on-line, so ordering by phone and mail is still happening. However, for the most part, the Internet has redefined traditional mail order. Now, when one receives a catalog, you can look through it, admire the pictures, and then go on-line to the website that is provided, even though there is an order form just waiting to be filled out.
Going on-line allows the buyer to look at different sources and prices for the product. They may find a better price either on the catalog's website, by doing some research through the search engines, or visiting the original manufacturer's site. These price differences might be outright, part of a volume discount, or discounted shipping.
Then there is the speed of ordering. In both the on and off line case, the buyer has to fill out an order form. It is what happens once that order form is filled out where there is a noticeable difference. In the case of the traditional mail order, the person then has to mail the order form, wait for the company to receive their order without knowing if they received it, wait again for the product to be shipped, and then receive the product at some estimated date. In the case of on-line shopping, the minute the buyer confirms their order, things start popping. Usually, the buyer receives an email confirmation that their order was received and then another email when the order is shipped. The second one contains tracking information that the buyer can use to see where their package is at at any given time. This way, they can plan for the arrival of the package, if they are expecting it, or know when to expect a "thank you" call or note should it be on its way as a gift to someone.
Finally, there is the convenience. Not all products are available through traditional mail ordering and not everyone has immediate access to the brick and mortar store that has the product that they want. The store might be a different city, county, state, or even country or operate on hours that make it inconvenient for the person to go in and buy the product. With the Internet, there are no time and distance restrictions. If the product is available on-line, then it is just a matter of ordering it, even if that order comes in at midnight from half a world away.
Mail order has definitely been changed and enhanced by the Internet, but not replaced by it. In a way, the Internet can never replace mail order. At least, not until a technology is invented that takes the mail part out of mail order.
Learn more about this author, A. H. Manjikian.
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Yes
The beauty of mail order, as pioneered in 1933 by Sears Roebuck, was that people who lived in remote areas and small towns could get their hands on things that were only available in the big city, without having to go to the big city. The whole idea was born as a way to make shopping more affordable and convenient for the consumers.
Distance shopping has since evolved and the costs associated with providing mail order shopping to the masses has made it a far less attractive to not only Sears but, all the companies that have followed their lead. There is a delicate balance that retailers must maintain since there is a lot of competition vying for the same market base. So, it is difficult for them to make a clean cut. However, many have begun viewing mail order as a legacy means for providing what the Internet can do so much better and cheaper.
Although it is still possible to find homes that do not have a computer, these are rare. Many people are even considering moving away from actual land lines and replacing them with cellular telephones. What then can be said about continuing to be confined to individual paper catalogs when it is possible to comparison shop any number of on-line retailers without ever leaving your own home? Couple this with access to impartial, third party reviews at the tip of the finger.
Perhaps some companies will continue to print large catalogs but, these, like the technologically barren homes, are becoming modern-day dinosaurs. As a consumer, it may be nice to be able to leaf through a catalog. The deciding factor is if companies can still afford to produce them. Printing glossy multi-page catalogs is far more expensive than loading the same pages up on the Web and letting people view them on their PDAs, laptops, and desktops.
There are also numerous advantages for the consumer that agrees to switch over from mail-order to on-line shopping. Once something is sent through the mail it has left the buyer's hand and control. The order might be misread, entered incorrectly, or lost. With paper based ordering there are many opportunities for discrepancies. When a customer places an order on-line they typically have instant access to order history and tracking. Further, there is a marked reduction in order turnaround time since the request is submitted right away and does not depend on going through the mail.
Sears Roebuck had the right idea when it came to coming up with their Christmas catalog. Given the tools available to them at the time, this was the best possible way to deliver on their objective. However, had the Internet been around back then, rest assured that nobody would have opted for an option that leaves so many gaps and opportunities.
Learn more about this author, Freyda Tartak.
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