Report: J.C. Penney turns page on sales strategy

The obituary for the printed retail catalog might have been a bit premature, if J.C. Penney is correct.

The retailer is reportedly bringing back its big glossy paper catalog after new evidence surfaced suggesting that print catalogs drive sales, the Wall Street Journal reports.

The retailer discontinued its Big Book catalog five years agoand phased out distribution of 70 smaller catalogs a year laterin order to focus on e-commerce, the Journal said.

The move is substantiated with data showing that many of its online sales were driven by what the shoppers saw in print, the newspaper said.

The new, 120-page book will present items from the company’s home department and will be sent to select customers in March, the first time it has sent out a catalog since 2010, the report said.