Catalog merchant

This article is about companies with physical stores where customers order merchandise from a catalog. For mail-order catalog business, see Mail order.

A catalog merchant (catalogue merchant in Commonwealth English) or catalog showroom is a form of retailing in which consumers select items from a catalog, inspect display samples in a public showroom, then submit written orders for immediate fulfillment from an attached warehouse which is closed to the public. The typical catalog merchant sells a wide variety of household and personal products, with many emphasizing jewelry. Unlike most retail formats, the vast majority of the merchandise remains in the warehouse space and is therefore immune to shoplifting because it cannot be touched by consumers outside of the presence of a cashier.

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