Catalogue companies want to have your business.  In most cases, the image of the product in a catalogue looks remarkably close to the product received.  However, the costs of mailing and printing catalogues are very high. And with the greening of society, customers are turned off by companies that are too conspicuous in their contributions to stuffed landfills. Thus, mailboxes are not overloaded like they used to be.  Shoppers are going straight to the web, rather than using the web to order after viewing the item in a glossy, color specific magazine.

The problem with this is the image represented on a computer monitor varies from machine to machine.  The study quoted below sited 87% of Bloomingdales’ shoppers saw a difference from monitor to received product equivalent to moving the color over 16 shades!   And, of course, this is affecting sales.

            Here’s a sample: in a study by InfoTrends last December, 81% of those surveyed said concerns about inaccurate color depiction affect their decisions to purchase color-dependent products via the web. A BizRate study in March found that 50% of consumers would not make future purchases from an online merchant that delivered an item in a color that didn’t match their expectations. And 60% of online consumers in a recent study from Cyber Dialogue don’t trust the colors viewed on their monitors while 30% bailed out of online purchases due to uncertainty about the color. Source

So what to do?  I always order a fabric swatch whenever possible even though it adds time to the process.  Thankfully, most swatches are free.  And it helps to be aware of the return policy.  These, too, vary widely.  Here are some from the online retailers I use often:

•  Ballard Designs – 90 days, no restocking fee
• Lighting Universe – 30 days, 15% restocking
• Home Decorators – 45 days, no restocking, no hassle
• Crate and Barrel – 90 days, must have receipt
• Pottery Barn – 30 days, info in lieu of receipt
• West Elm – 30 days, same company as Pottery Barn, but a paragraph policy as opposed to PB’s full page document
• Restoration Hardware – 90 days, must have proof of purchase to receive method of payment
• Bellacor – no returns after 30 days and must be shipped to a separate specific address

Online color correction technology is a new industry, springing to life from the needs of retailers.  I imagine in the near future, this will be a nonissue.