For most of its history, J.Crew’s catalog has been an iconic part of the retailer’s brand. Seven years ago, however, the company discontinued the physical book, ending nearly 30 years of history. Later this month, the catalog will make its return.
J.Crew, which filed for bankruptcy in 2020, is on an upswing again and it’s banking on the surge in nostalgia to help it keep growing, which led to the company’s decision to bring back the catalog full of widespread fashion shoots that helped establish trends in years gone by.
While it hasn’t been published since 2017, the print catalog will seem very familiar to those who remember it. Like catalogs past, it will be aspirational in its presentation, showing more than just clothes, but models in exotic and glamorous locales. Actress Demi Moore is on the cover of the fall 2024 edition, and, as with its predecessor, the new J.Crew catalog will contain more than just images. Articles and an interview with Moore are part of the revived product.
There will, of course, be some modern updates, as well, such as QR codes that send shoppers to the company’s app.
And rather than the 13 catalogs a year of days gone by, the company plans to produce just three per year moving forward. As before, the catalog will be free—and customers can either pick one up in stores or opt-in for it to arrive in their mailbox.
Opting for physical catalogs in a digital age might seem an odd play, but we’re in an era of nostalgia, when vinyl records and even cassette tapes are hot once more. So J.Crew is betting that by having something people can hold in their hands and dogear, it could create a bond between the shopper and customer.