Tired of a full mailbox, I’ve been on a catalog-unsubscribing bender lately, so when I heard about iPad app Catalog Spree, my interest was piqued. The environmentally friendly app doesn’t have a huge selection of catalogs yet, but companies would be smart to climb on board the service post haste — the app makes catalog shopping easy and fast, something that can’t possibly hurt in a rebounding economy.
Nordstrom’s catalog was the most recognizable name I saw available, but other titles include Dwell Studio, Serena & Lily and Artful Home. Pages loaded quickly upon swipe, and in high resolution. There’s no pinch-to-zoom function, but that’s OK. If there’s a product you want to know more about, just tap the image. Catalog Spree opens a pop-up window that offers product details, style number and price. From the window, users can add the item to their favorites, share over email or Facebook, browse other items on the page.
If you want to buy the item, there’s a button for that, too. Tap XXX, and Catalog Spree will open that product’s URL from the merchant’s website. Through this, you can purchase the item as you would in a normal browse. The product pages loaded very quickly, which was quite impressive. You can also browse the merchant’s entire site this way, so you can complete all your shopping in one go. Catalog Spree eliminates drawbacks of traditional catalog ordering — no mailing of forms, talking to phone reps, or finding the product online. Catalog Spree does it all for you, and it does it well.
Obviously, if the current catalog selections don’t appeal to you, you won’t love this app. Catalog Spree thought of that, and has built-in an email form for you to request catalogs you’re interested in — hopefully, the app will increase its library in the near future.
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