Our Catalog Exposition (Sears promotional booklet)
The pattern
This still is filed under Mail-order catalog.
Define
A catalog that is the store: browse, choose, order, without a clerk and often without a website.
Mechanism
Assortment as argument. Density, numbering, and an order path do the closing. The book is the funnel.
Verdict
We have a range, remote buyers, and a way to take the order on the same object.
Why it works
It elevates the act of shopping from a mundane task to an empowering, almost magical experience. By framing the catalog as a 'modern convenience to be classed with electric power, the telephone and the telegraph,' it increases the perceived value of the catalog itself.
Steal this when
When you want to increase the usage and perceived value of a free tool, catalog, or resource you've already distributed to your customers.