In 1872, the first mail order catalogue was created by Montgomery Ward. The aim of his first catalogue was to offer goods at lower prices to customers. Mr. Ward would purchase items in bulk from stores across the country, and he would then be able to offer discounts on the items to customers. His first mail order catalogue became a huge success. As a result, the industry of the mail order catalogue was created and still thrives today.

Mail order or home shopping catalogues appeal to customers, because they give customers a chance to shop without leaving their homes. In the United States, over 4 million people are homebound and physically unable to leave their homes. For these people, mail order catalogues are a true blessing and provide a much needed service. Customers can order clothing or home appliances from catalogues without ever leaving their homes.

Often, catalogues will offer special discounts to people as well. These catalogues may offer promotional deals that are only available through the catalogue and nowhere else. Companies like to give priority discounts to people who shop through mail order catalogues, so consumers should always watch out for these sorts of deals.

In shopping from a mail order catalogue, one should pay attention to measurements of products. Sometimes, an item may be deceptively portrayed as a certain size in a catalogue. Then, when a person receives the item, he or she may be surprised by the actual size of the object. To avoid this sort of surprise, one should always look for the fine print which displays the actual measurement of an object. For figurines, paying attention to measurement guidelines is especially important.

In purchasing clothing from a mail order catalogue, a consumer will also want to see if there are any sizing guidelines. One will want to make sure he or she chooses clothing in a size appropriate for one's personal measurements. A catalogue will usually have a section discussing the way in which it sizes clothes and shoes.

Consumers should also beware of any return policies a company with mail order catalogues has. Some companies may not allow consumers to return products which are purchased from mail order catalogues. For these companies, a consumer should be absolutely sure he or she wants to purchase a product from a mail order catalogue.

Mail order catalogues have transformed into one of the most popular and easy ways of buying products from the comfort of one's own home.