K and Co is the result of the Shop Direct group merging 3 of their brand catalogues, these being Kays, Empire and Great Universal catalogues. I think the reason they have merged is to save costs. Before the change, if you ever visited these catalogues you would notice just how similar they all were. Many of the same lines of clothing and other products could be found at all 3 of them, so i guess it made sense to combine them together. All of these 3 catalogues are traditional brands with almost 100 years of trading each, so to see these names now merged to survive is perhaps a sign of the times. If you had ever visited the websites before the merger, you would have noticed how similar they looked, and they sold the same items as well.

The main K and Co site is very similar to the Very catalogue site, using the same colours and layout throughout. The main difference between them is how you can pay for things. Shop Direct also own Littlewoods, and the payment terms on K and Co are the most similar to Littlewoods. This means the prices are a bit higher than with Very, but the upside is you have longer repayment periods, hence the increase in prices. You have to be careful as some of the deals are advertised as interest free, which although technically they are, the original price is inflated to reflect the longer payment time frames. Hope that makes sense!

The online store contains everything you would find in the paper catalogue, the difference is that all the latest deals, sale items and new product ranges can be viewed online immediately. If you enjoy browsing and flicking through the paper catalogue then you can request a copy on the website. You just need to enter your personal details. Be aware that a credit check will be carried out on you, and if accepted, you will receive a copy of the catalogue and you will also get a promotional discount of 10% off your first purchase. You can make good use of this discount if you buy a big ticket item. You may be on the lookout for a new sofa, if so it can be a simple way to get 10% off the list price. Have a close look at the terms and conditions on the K and Co website for this discount offer, some electrical items like computers are not part of this promotion.

As you would expect with a Shop Direct catalogue, you get excellent delivery options, which is typically free within 2 days, and returns are also free. The biggest bonus with all Shop Direct catalogues is that you can order up to 8pm and still get next day delivery. This is important if you want something as soon as possible, like the latest fashion. The Collect Plus delivery system is also a way to avoid waiting at home for delivery, you can just pick up your order from a local store that is part of the network. To find your nearest collection point just simply type in your postcode on the website and a list of the closest stores will appear.

K and Co have a three tier rewards scheme that is an incentive to spend more with them. You have silver, gold and platinum levels. If you reach platinum level you get 12.5% off your purchases, which is a big saving if you are a regular shopper. All the terms are available on the website and it is well worth looking into if you shop with K and Co on a regular basis.

One very useful feature on the site is the size and fit section. You will find videos and articles to help you determine your correct size and shape. This is vital if you want any clothes you order to fit just right. Many clothes shoppers end up returning ill fitting clothes, and this costs the online retailer money to collect and return these products, then send out another item. It is far better to get it right first time, so if you are planning on buying clothing from K and Co, make sure you know your size before ordering.

The overall impression of K and Co is that it offers a wide range of products, especially womens clothing lines. As part of the Shop Direct network you get excellent delivery options and a trusted brand where online shopping is safe. If you are going to shop there on a regular basis then the rewards are pretty good. The prices are higher than with other catalogues, but this is down to the flexible payments. Make sure to keep on top of your payments to avoid interest charges.

It is like a snowball effect, and it just does not stop until they reach the top. Every other catalogue retailer is scared stiff of what tesco can do, and it was only really a matter of time before they explored the riches of the internet. The website is very simple. like all of them are, and you will find everything from the home page without too much trouble at all. The catalogue is a result of exploring non food items from their supermarkets, just like asda have done. They have vast amounts of floor space available and so they started with a few small items like televisions and dvd’s, and then tried different products like fridges, freezers and other large appliances.

These things seemed to sell very well, and there was already a huge customer base to draw upon. Having these things all in the same place was very convenient for everyone, so it was natural that they would sell very well. As things progressed, tesco opened its eyes to having a catalogue, as companies like argos had seen huge profits and were virtually unchallenged for many years. Tesco direct is the result of many years of planning and preparation and it has big things planned for it.

There are a few special offers on such as vouchers for money of depending on how much you spend. This is copying what argos already does a few times a year, so the intention is clear, tesco is going after argos’ business share of the market. There are lots of different departments in the catalogue, and they are much the same as all the other catalogue operators. You will find them at the top of the home page in little tabs. This makes it simple to jump to any page with just a click of the mouse.

Also on the home page are the latest deals and offers, and again, these are displayed in very big adverts so you are immediately drawn to them. It is a good advertising technique, and faster internet connections have really helped out with this. Before, it would have taken too long to load the page, but now that is no longer an issue. When you have the need to show customers what you are selling, then pictures do it better than words, and there is no doubt that broadband has increased online sales dramatically.

The prices are as low as anyone else can offer, so you can be coincident that when you buy with tesco you will be getting the lowest price available. Some of the items are half price or less for limited periods, so it is a good idea to check the web site often for these deals. You can always sign up for e-mail alerts so you will not miss a thing, and this is free. You can even let tesco know which things you are most interested about so the e-mails will be targeted with the right stuff you want. This is how far modern online shopping as developed in a few short years, it is very customer focused, which is how it should be.

There are other references to argos on the site that will annoy them. One of these is that tesco has over 1000 products that are lower in price than with the argos catalogue. Tesco are keeping a close eye on their competitors prices, just like they do with the food shopping business. Another challenge to argos is on the delivery charges. Tesco deliver for less than argos do, and are not afraid to let everyone know about it either. It is like a kid spoiling for a fight, and time will tell if argos fights back. This could be good news for consumers if a price war breaks out, because everything will come down in price, and the firm with the biggest buying power will come out on top. Seeing as tesco has more resources to do this, then there will only be one winner.

The delivery options are also pretty good, and you can have home delivery for an extra £5, even on large items. For a few extra pounds you can specify a time slot within 2 hours if you don’t fancy waiting in all day. Even better is if you have your goods delivered to your nearest tesco store because this is free. And as most stores are open till very late, you will have plenty time to pick them up at your leisure. You do need to pick them up within 10 days though. If you spend over £200 on large appliances then delivery is free, and this is very good indeed.

The tesco direct catalogue offers a good selection at very low prices. It will get bigger and better as time goes on, so watch out for it. Aggressive advertising will grow the already strong brand name, and the reputation. A very good choice for online consumers.

I guess it was important to keep the brand name because it was a well respected and trusted name in mail order shopping, and that is priceless. The Kays online catalogue is very similar in set up the littlewoods direct site, which is not surprising as they have the same owners, but there is a difference in the products and some of the offers you will find.

The colour schemes are different, but you still have the great pictures and graphics on the start page with the best deals on show right from the beginning. All the departments are at the top of the page, and one click will take you to them. There are quite a few new fashion ranges that are exclusive to Kays, and this is one of the differences. The emphasis is on fashion and clothing lines because these are the best sellers, and they keep on doing very well despite the difficult trading times we now have. The reason is that the customers can see all the clothes very clearly, with well taken pictures, and there are videos of people modelling the clothes if you look deep enough.

Kays have a very selection of items, especially in the womens clothing section, you have over 500 lingerie items and very good collections from top name brands. They also have their own label clothes, so you have a very choice of cheaper and more expensive lines. This is the big advantage of having an online store, you can sell more things than you can in the high street, and have larger and more extensive collections. This is why online shopping has continued to grow, doing much better than the high street. It is all about choice, and lot’s of it!

As an example, there are close to 500 dresses at Kays, but you would never see that amount in a high street shop, there just is not enough space to contain them, so the high street suffers with this inherant problem. You will also find over 500 tops, and you can also shop by tall sizes and 16+ sizes. This shows that Kays know their customers, and cater for all shapes and sizes.

You can shop by brand such as Miss Sixty, Bench, Henleys and Miss Selfridge, or shop by item such as knitwear, tops, skirts, lingerie and so on. You can also shop by size and price, so the whole process is very simple and quick. The mens clothing ranges are also very good, with designer labels like Firetrap and Diesel, along with a vast sports range from well known brands like Adidas, Nike Lacoste and Reebok. This gives a varied price range as well, so there is something for all ages and styles.

If you fancy getting into sports then there are golf clubs and loads of gym accessories and equipment in the catalogue, with good payment plans. Other departments are the home furnishing and appliances sections, with well stocked products on offer. There are budget items and then there are top of the line items with the latest technology and quality. There are over 180 cookers, and 150 fridges and freezers in the line up, so you will be spoilt for choice. The other departments are the same as most other online catalogues such as toys and games and garden products.

Delivery is free on smaller items like clothes and small electrical goods, and are usually delivered next day or in 48 hours depending on what time of day you placed your original order. As Kays is part of the shop direct group you have all the same delivery options as you do with littlewoods, so you can have the collect+ feature at your disposal. Just have Kays send it to a local address and pick it up from there when you have the time. Bigger items such as cookers and freezers are probably best to have delivered to your home. You can pay extra for them to fit it and take your old appliance away, which is a good idea. Home delivery has a big window, and kays will only give you a day and not a time, it could be anywhere between 7am to 6pm. You can nominate a day for delivery and this cost a bit more.

The same payment plans are available at Kays online, with some good introductory offers such as 0% interest over 20 weeks, or up to 5 years if you spend a lot of money with Kays. You also get rewards with Kays, and this happens when you buy something each season. There are 3 levels to this, being silver, gold and platinum. Basically the rewards grow the longer you shop, and silver gives you 5% of your account balance back, rising to platinum which is 10%. You get the rewards the following season, and it is well worth it if you spend a lot.

You can also buy now pay next year, and benefit from interest free payments, this is the same introductory offer that littlewoods have. Just remember to pay off the balance or you will have to pay interest at a rate of 29%.  The same shopping insurance and extended cover warranties are on offer, and this will be the same for of shop directs companies. Again, these services are fine if you use a bit of common sense and don’t get into too much debt.

Kays online don’t seem to advertise as much as the other catalogue stores do, but then again they have already got a solid reputation and brand awareness, with thousands of loyal customers who are well looked after with the rewards scheme. They are one of the oldest and most trusted catalogue retailers and continue to thrive under new ownership.

The online site is clean and crisp, with a simple yet effective layout and neutral colour scheme. They are an independant company and are competing against the shop direct group, so they have their work cut out to remain competitive. You can order a paper copy of the catalogue from the site and this is free. If you have this catalogue handy then you can shop by using the product number, which makes things much quicker. Even if your shopping directly from the site it is very straightforward, and you can choose by price, size or brand. What is good with Grattan is that they have the top brands available such as D&G, DKNY, Calvin Klein and many more. They are not tied to same suppliers like the shop direct catalogues are, so you get a good cross section of goods. This has probably played a part in their continued success, and it makes a refreshing change.

Other departments are the electricals, where you will find appliances and other gadgets and equipment, the house and garden section,where you can buy all kinds of things from large mirrors to rugs and towels, and the clothing and kids departments. It is all easy to find from the tabs at the top of the page. On the side you will also find the most popular searched for items, so you get a feel for what the best selling things are within each department. You can also get e-mail updates on the latest deals if you sign up with Grattan, and the incentive is a cash prize if you are picked out.

Grattan online is very interactive, and there is video link at the top of the home page about how to spend money wisely, which at the moment is very topical. The VIP section is where all the action is and you need to be an agent to gain access. Once in you will benefit from prize draws, money off promotions, a chat forum, extended sale deadlines that are not open to regular customers, and chances to win big prizes. There is an air of exclusivity to this, and this will attract customers who want to be a part of it. It is very clever marketing, and there are many VIP members enjoying these benefits.

Grattan has its own flexible payment options, which give more choice than the other catalogues. With Grattan flex you can either take 5 months interest free credit, you can pay the minimum amount on your balance each month, or simply pay any amount off your monthly balance, the choice is yours. This is a good idea if you have an unexpected bill and cannot afford to pay the balance in one particular month. When you receive your statement you just choose the option for that month. As the name suggests, it is flexible and innovative, a good solution towards credit payments.

The catalogue has a very large selection of both expensive and cheaper items. For example, the mens section has over 70 types of jeans and 21 tailored suits. The womens section is also packed with the latest fashion labels and accessories, with over 250 dresses, and over 1000 tops to choose from. Every item has a picture with it, but the quality is not as high as in the Next directory, but then again no one has. I do think this will change in the next few seasons, and more work will go into the presentation of the items to make them more inviting.

There  are some big price reductions on at the moment, and each sale item is clearly identified with a little red pricing underneath. Grattan does have one of the best online catalogues around. The delivery is not quite as efficient as some of the others though, only because they do source a lot of their products from Europe, so the lead times are a bit longer. They do offer free standard  delivery on all items though, but next day delivery is only available on a few things. The usual time is 4 to 9 days for fashion items, so it is only a problem if you need the goods right away. Grattan do not have collection points ot high street stores, so you will have to have home delivery. If you happen to be out when they call, then you will be given a letter with instructions for alternative delivery. This system is quite old now, and things have been improved upon, especially with the shop direct group. If Grattan are to keep up then part of the business will need to be improved, and it will only be a matter of time before it is.

Overall the Gattan online shopping catalogue is one of the best. You have the best selection of designer items, more than any other catalogue has to offer. The site is clean and effective, with good interactive services, and the VIP section has some of the best benefits of anyone.

The Simply Be site is a lot different to the others, both in the fresh design and the colours used. You will also find many useful guides and interactive features all through the pages. There is a style guide, bra fitting service, a jeans directory, shoe fitting videos and a room explorer which allows you to view a dining or living room which is set out like you might find in your own house, and has a range of products that you can click on and zoom in. Each item in the room can be clicked on the reveal the price and details. It is a bit like the Next Directory site, and is much better than just a one dimensional picture. You can also get some great ideas for styling your house with this room explorer. The other catalogues sites do not have this kind of interaction, and it is a refreshing change that shows how much thought has gone into the design of the site.

The departments consist of womens fashion clothes, electrical items, appliances, home and leisure, lingerie, sports and swimwear and a gifts department. The set up is standard, with tabs across the top of every page that you can use to navigate to your required department with one simple click. What is different about this site is that it only caters for women, there is no menswear or clothing at all. Simply Be knows who it is targeting, so it can concentrate on ladies fashion and styles, and as a result it gives more than the other catalogues.

The fashion department allows you to shop by occasion, brand name, size or price. There is also a banner ad that runs on the screen with the best choices of clothing at the moment, and you also have the biggest discounts running down the page, with the price highlighted in red telling you what the original price was, and what it is right now. These are updated frequently so it is always worth checking in often to find the latest bargains on offer.

The designer brands are from Agenda, Babeskin, Blue Wahoo, Freya, Mica Paris, Resume, Slimmer and Trespass to name just a few of the full collections. The accessories department has handbags from top designers like Ciccia and Laguna London, and a whole host of other things like hats, scarves, gloves, jewellery and fragrances from Armani, Beckham, DKNY, Guess and Jean Paul Gaultier.

The electricals section has mobile phones, gaming consoles, cameras, audio equipment, computers and sat nav systems. Many are priced very low indeed, with bundle packages with the games consoles. You can also buy kitchen appliances like cookers and washing machines, the choice is right in front of you.  Fire places and heaters are now on offer, and they are simple systems that provide some real style and function to your home. You cannot really buy indirect fired heater hire units or more sophisticated units from the catalogue. There is the ability to shop by colour as well, so if you want black fridge then you will be presented with all the black fridges in stock.

Simply Be will deliver next day, or standard delivery is £2.99. Next day is an extra £3.99 if you want this option. Larger goods like cookers and freezers will take longer, especially if they are delivered direct from the manufacturer. For example, electricals and small furniture take 10 days, beds take 2 weeks, and other furniture can take up to 4 weeks. You will be informed of the lead time when you place your order. There are no free collection points, so it is all home delivery with Simply Be.

The payment options involve credit, which you can take out and pay the minimum balance each month. You will be set a credit limit when you first sign up, and this level will change once you have established a payment history. The minimum you can pay off the amount owed is usually one sixth, but his can go as low as one in twelve in time. You can also set up a direct credit agreement and just pay off a certain amount each month, you have a few choices. There are regular discount codes and incentive programs to reward you when you shop online, so make use of them if you qualify.

The Simply Be catalogue is full of goods at very good prices, and the catalogue is niche targeted to female shoppers. The site has lots of great features, and lots of interactive stuff to keep you busy with.

The online site is laid out very well in the standard format that we are well used to by now. The latest ranges from the clothing brands are prominently featured on the home page, and it works very well. Choice uk has a new classic range, and this is aimed at older shoppers, so you have a distinct niche here that is being worked and catered for. Choice knows its shoppers very well, and tailors there products to suit these customers. It keeps everyone happy, and drives sales forward.

You have electricals, appliances, mens and womens sections, gifts, jewellery and homeware to name just a few. At present you have a selection of 3 for 2 offers on kids items and within other departments, and these are featured throughout the catalogue. You can request a catalogue from the site if you like to browse at your leisure, and delivery is free. You can shop online with your catalogue handy by entering the code into a search box. This speeds things up a lot if you know exactly what you are after. You can choose to telephone order as well, and lines are open all the time, or you can of course enjoy browsing through the Choice online catalogue.

Each department has a very big choice, and they have to really with a name like that. The womens section has a hundreds of dresses, tops and accessories, more than some of the others in the group. Choice also rewards its customers, and their program is very much the same as the Grattan initiative.You have the silver, gold and platinum programs, and the more you shop the more rewards you can get by way of money off your future purchases. All you have to do is buy something each season, so four purchases a year would qualify you for the rewards. It helps to keep customers shopping at the catalogue, and gives something back.

There is not so much interaction on the site, and no videos and members only services like chat forums or style features that Next and Littlewoods Direct have to offer, but you can bet this will change to fall in line with the other shop direct catalogues. The various stores are appliances, e;ectrical items, home ware such as furniture and tables, a kids section with toys and games, the gifts department with the ability to shop for your loved ones by price or recipient. There are also experience days for something totally different to the normal stuff.

Free credit is available, with a buy now pay in a years time without any interest charges. You can take out a credit agreement and pay as little or as much as you want off your balance each month. The APR is around 29% if you choose this method. Shopping insurance can be bought if you run into difficulties paying your outstanding balance, and this is good for holiday periods when you may need your money for other things. Warranties and product insurance are available for a small charge each month, and Choice catalogue now offer loans with an instant decision, and a repayment calculator. There is a lot of credit on offer in various forms, but you have to be sensible when taking these kinds of services out.

Collection points make the delivery process fast, free and efficient, but home delivery is also included, which is also free in standard from, and usually within 48 hours of placing your order. You can have Saturday or nominated day delivery but this will cost you around £6.95. A better option is to use the collection points and pick them up when you are good and ready.

The Choice catalogue is a pretty decent choice, and has some great offers and discounts. As with all the catalogues in the shop direct group, they have reliable and speedy delivery, and you can track your order. The clothing lines are very big, with every little detail right in front of you. Online shopping has been made even quicker and better, with these companies and brand names leading the way.

At the online site you are greeted with the familiar Asda green colour scheme, so you immediately know you are at the right place. The only clothes you will see on the online store are from their George range, and this has been selling extremely well over the past few years. Asda have seen a gap in the market for budget clothing, and it seems Tesco are following their lead so it should be very interesting over the next 12 months or so to see what happens. The television adverts are becoming more frequent as Asda develops the brand name, and alerts customers to its online operation.

As for the actual site, well things get a little bit confusing because there are many different sections which have a link to their own web site. You will only notice this if you look in the url at the bottom of your screen. The main asda site at www.asda.co.uk has all the links to all the departments including a link to the Asda Direct catalogue. On the main site you can also do your grocery shopping and find everything that asda has to offer. On the Direct site you have verything apart from grocery shopping. It seems that the new direct website has been made in direct competition to the tesco direct site, they both have similar names, and asda  have yet to sort out a completely new navigation system. Having said that, you really have no problem finding what you want with a few clicks, it just does seem as professional yet. Believe that it soon will be though.

Asda sell a whole lot of goods and services, and they have their fingers in many different markets, more than the rest, including tesco. There is an asda entertainment site which focuses on books and dvd’s, and the prices are the lowest you will find. They are cheaper than Amazon for most books, and delivery is free as well, so they are competing with the big names on price and delivery. There is a book chart and a best sellers chart as well as the new releases, so you can find any book with ease.

Also on the asda entertainment site are dvd’s and blue ray discs on offer, and the prices are very low again, with a massive selection to choose from. Asda already have a wide range a dvd’s in their shopping centres, and you get an even bigger choice online now. Many of the dvd’s are under £5, some even lower than this, and there is a weekly special offer of a new title for around £5 so it is worth checking up on the site every week for these deals.

At the Asda Direct site you have a few more departments such as electricals, furniture, home and garden, jewellery, gifts and motors. The furniture store has many very low priced cabinets, tables and chairs from a new ohio range, and each piece has a customer rating, so you can see what other people think about what they have bought. This can help you decide which is best for you, and is a unique little feature that not many other catalogues have. The home and garden section has things like cutlery, cheap rugs, mirrors and blinds.

In the electricals section you have all the appliances, mp3 players, and other small gadgets from top name brands, and again, the prices are some of the lowest you will anywhere online. The sports and leisure section has a new range of bikes and fitness equipment that is growing all the time. There is a top rated product box at the top of the screen so you know what is selling well.

What sets Asda apart from the rest is the extra services they can offer. There is Asda travel, asda phones, asda opticians, asda travel, hotels and flights, and financial services. All of these can be accessed from the Direct catalogue or from the main asda website.  The mobile site is good for asda because they have their own network, so they can promote their own service. They offer very low price tariffs with free mobile phones from their network. You can also pay as you go, or opt for a contract phone for better prices. As well as this they offer other contract phones from the big mobile companies like orange, o2 and T-Mobile. You do get a good selection of phones to purchase as well.

The asda opticians has all the glasses, lenses and contact lenses you will ever need, and they can deliver them on a monthly basis if you have your prescription. The prices for these lenses are very competitive indeed, and they are taking a large chunk of the market with these offers. You can get designer sunglasses, prescription sunglasses, and just about anything else as this is a full opticians service.

If you fancy going on holiday then visit Asda travel. You have cheap flights, hotels and package holidays all in the same place. Everything you need to sort out your own holiday is here, including car hire and insurance. There is search box so you can enter the details of where you want to go and for how long, and you will get the latest deals on offer. A very good service that no other catalogue company can match at the moment because nobody else has even tried doing it on this scale.

Asda online is also getting into many financial services such as credit, insurance and loans. You can take out the asda credit card and get 0% interest on asda products, depending on how much you spend. This card can also be used as a normal credit card, and you get rewards for using it, with money off at the end of the year. It can save you a whole lot of money if you are a frequent user, and the rewards are something that Asda is keen to develop, as they have been a little behind the others on this.

The delivery options are numerous, and home delivery starts at £2.95 for clothing and small items, and rises to £4.95 for larger goods. You can have delivery to your nearest store, and for orders over £25 this is free. It will usually take up to 4 working days for delivery, but some items may take longer if they are sourced from abroad. The returns policy is very good too. If you have ordered something and change your mind, then you will get a full refund and not incur any charges. You have up to 7 days to return items, but if they have already been delivered and you wish to cancel then you have to pay for the return posting, this is the standard law for any purchase from the internet so keep it in mind when you shop online.

All in all the asda direct catalogue site is a tremendous success, it will continue to get bigger and bigger. There is more choice of services in the same place than with any other company on the internet. Asda makes it more convenient to shop for just about anything you can think of. The business will expand in the years ahead into different markets, and the asda brand is very respected and strong, which helps a lot. The direct catalogue has some of the best priced items on the internet, and they will continue to get lower. A very well laid out site, and probably the biggest choice of all shopping sites.

The JD Williams catalogue is the flagship site, and the ranges reflect this position. A paper copy catalogue can easily be ordered from the site, but there are no high street shops with the JD name, they operate only on the internet, as most others now do as well. The JD Williams brand name is what makes it so special. They have been around for a long time, and are a national institution with many shoppers. They have always stayed true to their core values of customer satisfaction and diversity. The brands they sell are exclusive to them, so you will not find them on other catalogue sites.

The womens fashion section has hundreds of lines and collections, and some of these are only available online, they are not in the paper catalogue. This is done to draw women to the online business, and it works very well. The actual site is well laid out like most are, and makes full use of the limited space available on the pages. The colour schemes are welcoming and friendly, and it creates a nice place to be on your first visit. The first thing you notice is the huge advertisement in the middle of the screen, drawing you to the best offer at the moment. Some of the prices are very low indeed, with dresses for less than £15. Other clothes are much more expensive, so you get a broad range of items at different prices to suit all budgets and tastes.

If you are after hard to get sizes then this is the place to go. JD Williams have found a niche and cater for it better than anyone else does. This is the basis of their customers so they have done their homework on customer demographics. Party wear is less than half price, and style and trend guides will help you find the most stylish clothes for every occasion and season. The collections from top designers are very popular, and they are very extensive and diverse. The footwear department is one if the biggest online and is well worth a visit.

The home section has electricals and furniture combined under one roof. The selections are not as big as  the likes of littlewoods and additions direct, but you get a decent choice at a decent price. At JD Williams you do get incentives which are exclusive to your account. In essence the more shopping you do the more deals you will be offered. There are various payment methods, and opening up an account will give you access to interest free credit if needed. You will get a credit limit to begin with, which will rise as you go along and spend more money. You can pay your balance each month and incur no charges, or pay the minimum amount each month. You will be sent a report of your balance every month so you can keep up to date with what you owe or don’t owe.

Delivery will cost you £2.50 for small items, and this usually takes 5 working days. Next day delivery is available at an extra £3.99, and will be sent directly to your requested address. JD Williams do not have collection points, so you cannot get free delivery, which is a shame, and should really be made available to keep in line with the other catalogues. Delivery options do need to be updated i feel. You can track your order online from the web site.

JD Williams are a well respected catalogue retailer that focuses on womens fashion and footwear. This has proved to be the way forward for them, and they are doing very well at the moment. The choices are very good, and the collections are diverse and offer something different than the rest.

It is the name of big name brands, and this is what the catalogue has been built on providing for all these years. You will be hard pushed to find cheaper branded clothing from anywhere else, and such a big choice to boot. The clothes are the main business, with many signed up celebs who endorse their own collections for customers to buy on the web site. You will also find many electrical products such as the latest wide screen plasma and lcd televisions, ipods and kitchen appliances. The littlewoods direct online site allows you to order your own catalogue for free, and also set up your own account which grants you access to a wide range of payment options and special discounts on goods. Sign up for email alerts if you want to keep ahead of the rest and get the low down on the latest fashion and gadget trends. This is free as well.

There is even a new magazine to browse through, which is probably the biggest advantage of running an online catalogue business. This magazine contains the latest deals without littewoods having to bring out a new edition of their main catalogue. It is far more cost efficient doing things this way, and littlewoods are certainly leading the way with these types of initiative. Monthly deals are featured on the home page, and the hottest trends and style information. But the biggest push is with the flexible payment options, which is especially useful with the holiday periods on the way. Littlewoods would really like all of their customers to use the credit facilities they offer because they can make more money from each purchase this way. It helps out the customers, and it increases profits on the existing stock they have.

This is the main income gained from the catalogue companies, and they have been doing it for years now. If you use these services with a bit of common sense you can really benefit from them, but just beware of the interest chrges if you don’t. Read the small details and you will be fine.

The site is a breeze to use, and you cannot help but to be impressed with how easy it is to find things. It is express shopping made simple for the mass consumers, at low prices and with a massive choice on tap. Items are delivered in a timely fashion as well, to your door or to an alternative address if required. Returns are free, and you have a 14 day period to return unwanted items, so you can’t go wrong in reality. The prices are so low because it is an internet only operation now, so you will not find any littlewoods high street stores anymore. No stores means less overheads, and these savings to straight to the product prices, and is the main reason why they are so low.

Home and garden products, jewellery, gifts, flowers, dvd’s and cd’s, nursery items and toys and games are all available. It is the ideal place to find a big range of things from all sorts of brands. The prices are very broad as well, and they cater for all types of budgets. This is how littlewoods targets all kinds of shoppers, and this increases sales year on year. Heavy advertising will boost the brand name beyond most of the other online catalogues, and the shop direct group are giving the direct catalogue a lot of backing. It will no doubt be well worth the initial investment.

Very has been branded as an online department store, and it certainly has the feel and look of one. A lot of work has gone into the site to make it more interactive and easy to use. The celebrity connections are strong and very are pushing this side of the business quite a lot. You have clothing collections from Holly Willoughby and Fearne Cotton that are very successful and have a large following. The colour schemes are different on the site, and there are some very good offers and deals on all the time, especially for those who shop regularly. Loyal customers are well rewarded with very online.

The departments are situated at the top of every page, with the different categories well laid out for you. The main page has a big advertisement in the centre, and the latest deals are the buy now pay later, and the 3 for 2 offers. The womens section has clothes for less than half price, which is being used to gain more customers to the new catalogue. All these clothes are from the best brands and collections, and there are style and trend tips to help you choose the best clothes for coming seasons. Each month there are sales on selected items, and these are featured prominently in this department. You can request a paper copy of the very catalogue from the site if needed, and it will be shipped to your door. Shopping at the site is even easier if you have the catalogue because you can just type in the product code into the search box and find things that way.

The “new in” button takes you straight to the new stock clothing lines, or you can shop by collection, which there are over 133 lines to choose from. The branded clothes are well stocked to, from labels such as Miss Sixty, Bench, Diesel and Firetrap to name just a few. Each item gets a customer rating, and the most popular have 5 stars next to them. These are what the previous customers have rated them, but you can also shop by price and category. With over 500 dresses and tops, you do get a huge selection. The prices are as low as you will find anywhere, so it is just a case of browsing to find the perfect item you need.

The same is true for the mens section, with a vast array of designer clothes and accessories on offer for all occasions. All the designer labels are included and the gifts section will help you find the ideal presents for friends and family. Jeans are very popular and very have their own jeans department with over 140 lines in it. A very comprehensive choice indeed.The kids and nursery section has the same type of set up and caters for infants and babies, with a whole range of accessories and clothes, that are very reasonably priced. Parents can quickly find the hottest trends from the many childrens characters that are on sale.

The electricals department has every kind of gadget you can think of, and the latest technology such as blue ray and ipods. Plasma and lcd televisions feature strongly here, and there are some very good bundle deals with free dvd players on certain items. Gaming consoles from Playstations and Wii are at rock bottom prices, with bundle deals of free extra games with them. The more you spend the more you can save.

Every kind of appliance is in stock, from washing machines to fridges. There is a broad range of technology and prices, from the basic to the very latest must have appliances from well known brands. The is where you will find some of the best deals, some less than half price as very seem to be pushing the sale of appliances at the moment. Top names are included from Hotpoint and Indesit, and every appliance has its own rating. The guides also help you find the best product for your needs.

Very online also has a network page, which has some very good interactive features. They are on twitter, and you can keep up with the celebrity news this way. There is a vip lounge area, where you can chat to the celebs and others who are very members. If you have a problem then this is the place to be heard. Very TV gets you behind the scenes of the latest tv adverts and the fashion shoots. There are some competitions you can enter and get big sums of money to spend if you are a winner. This is taking the shopping experience to new levels, and is certainly the way forward.

Delivery is very good, with next day and nominated day delivery available. Next day costs £3.95 and nominated day is £6, but you ca now specify a time slot. If you are not sure about what to go for then there is also a live chat feature where you can talk to a very representative online, a nice customer focused feature. Larger items such as appliances will have different lead times and delivery options so make sure you get the details when you place your order to avoid confusion.

You can set up an account with very UK, and this gives you access to the many payment options, such as buy now pay later, interest free credit when you pay the required balance by the next month, and shopping insurance and extended warranties. You can also spread the cost over 3 months, and pay no interest on theses goods.

In conclusion, the very online catalogue is taking great steps to provide a better customer experience when shopping online. The ranges are extensive, and focus on designer goods at affordable prices. The site is simple to use and well laid out. The network is a new idea and gets you closer to the shopping process. The clever use of celebrities has paid off in a big way, and the clothing collections continue to grow each month.

One very important point to note is that the prices are cheaper in the Very catalogue than in the main Littlewoods catalogue. The same items are considerably cheaper. This is because the Littlewoods site focuses on credit terms for the items.