Question

Why is data mining important in the catalog marketing industry?

Answer 1

It is expensive to print and mail out catalogs. By mining historical data the company is able to better determine who is more likely to order from the catalog. If someone has received 50 catalogs and never ordered, it is probably not a good idea to send him another. On the other hand if someone orders every week or so you would not want to skip sending one to him. Also if you rent mailing lists it is good to ensure you do not send out duplicates.