My mother has had her catalogs for years and always likes to flip through them before ordering anything. But I'm wondering if that still makes sense or if you should just do everything online these days. Are there any advantages to ordering from the catalog?
I'd honestly say that Otto and Neckermann are offering catalogs more out of habit at this point. Your mom likes flipping through them - that's totally valid and if she enjoys it, there's nothing wrong with that. But when it comes to actually ordering, she simply has more advantages online: better prices, current availability, faster delivery, and the ability to check customer reviews right away. In the catalog, you never see whether an item is out of stock or if other people say the quality is terrible.
A practical compromise: She can keep ordering the catalogs (they don't cost much or are sometimes free), flip through them to relax, but when she actually wants to buy something, she does it online. That way she gets the best of both worlds. The online sites aren't complicated at all - just find the product from the catalog and enter it online. We did something similar at my place and my grandma thinks it's great. She loves the catalogs, but when she orders, she still uses the website because delivery is faster.
Bottom line: The subscription is only worth it if your mom really enjoys flipping through them. But for pure ordering, I'd definitely recommend she shop online. She'll often save money that way too.
It really depends on how your mother uses them. If she enjoys flipping through the catalogs and takes her time with it, then it's probably not just practical for her but also relaxing. Some people just like the tactile experience of turning pages instead of clicking around on a screen. With Otto and Neckermann you can order the catalogs for free or for a small fee, so financially it's no big deal.
That said: online you've got way more selection and current prices. In catalogs some items sell out quickly or prices change while the booklet's still sitting at your place. If your mother would be willing to check online sometimes, she could have the best selection and still order comfortably from the couch. Some sites also have filters and search functions that make browsing easier.
My tip: just let her keep going if she's enjoying it. It's not expensive and if it makes her happier and she'd rather order than not shop at all, that's totally fine. If it ever gets annoying or too much paper piles up, you can always switch. Some stores also offer digital catalog apps where you can flip through like in a real booklet.
If your mom really enjoys browsing through catalogs, that's completely fine for her personally - but for actually placing orders, the catalog doesn't make economic sense anymore. Prices are often better online, the selection is larger, and you save the wait for the mail. Still, there's a practical trick: she could selectively subscribe, so not for all catalogs, but only for two or three a year that particularly interest her. That way she gets the browsing experience without having a stack of paper lying around regularly.
Another approach would be for her to browse the Otto or Neckermann websites - many of these sites display products in a similarly pleasant way to a catalog, just on screen. But when it comes to actually ordering, I'd recommend she shop online, because you can compare prices more easily there and delivery is often faster. So the best of both worlds would be: catalog for browsing and inspiration, but then order online. That also saves on shipping costs, because many online orders have free shipping, whereas ordering through the catalog hotline could involve fees.
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