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In the universe of teen retail, there's no shortage of ways to get what you want. The malls still rule, with over 80% of all teen shopping at their doorsteps. The Internet is gaining a foothold, too, with the number of young people shopping online increasing each year. But what about catalogs, that relic of the 19th century, when people had little choice but to have goods mailed to them? What is their relevance in a world where instant-gratification is the norm?

Catalogs still have advantages: They allow browsing from the comfort of one's sofa; they require no special hardware (except maybe a phone); 24 hour delivery turn-around makes the wait seem bearable. And consumers still feel more confident in catalogers' ability to deliver than e-commerce companies. From a retail perspective, catalogs are an unbeatable brand building tool. Their flashy covers are like mini-billboards, keeping the brand's message top of mind wherever they lie.

But return hassles and lack of interaction with the product are major drawbacks for catalogs and e-commerce. And both generally require a check or credit card, a significant barrier for young shoppers. But the variety, immediacy and competitive pricing of the Internet explains why e-commerce continues to grow at the expense of catalogs. 19% of parents say they used catalogs to shop for their kids last Christmas in 2001, down from the year before, while Christmas shopping on the Internet was up over the same period.

Accordingly, catalog retailers have staked their claims on the Web. Catalogers were among the first to get up and running with e-commerce, mostly because their fulfillment structure was easy to adapt online. Most have made a smooth transition, offering their customers an online experience as complete and rewarding as their catalogs.

But despite a changing landscape, paper catalogs are still going strong. Companies like Delia's and Abercrombie and Fitch have found innovative (if controversial) ways to make their catalogs must-have lifestyle accessories and fun, magazine-like experiences for teens, and the pay-off has been huge.

Delia's has a catalog, an e-commerce website and nearly 50 stores across North America. Their catalog, with a circulation of 45 million, has been a stand-out success in reaching the teen market. Target consumers, girls ages 10 to 24, have responded to Delia's assortment of cute and sassy fashion (suede tie-dyed halter tops, fluorescent cell phone covers), with sales that have risen nearly 20% as of third quarter 2001. Though its stores are thriving, Delia's catalog is the core of the brand, and they've perfected it's simple formula.

Delia's treads carefully between the care-free, cheeky world of the girls who buy it and the more sophisticated world they look up to, pushing up against but never crossing into the world of adults. Unlike Old Navy, the Gap and Benetton, Delia's is girls-only. The fact that it's a catalog company works in its favor: no 20- to 30-year-old sales associates ruin the perception that the whole thing is run by people just like the shoppers. Delia's features no magazine-style content. Instead, it adds entertainment value by sprinkling its catalog with sayings and editorial commentary. Colorful copy scrolls along its pages, ranging from fortune cookie wisdom ("Don't get even, get over it;" "focus on video games and inner peace") to absurdist word-games ("Love makes the world go round of applause;" "Whisper sweet and sour nothings"). These asides help the catalog achieve the smart, teen-centric tone that sets Delia's apart.

In January 2002, Delia's took on a celebrity cover girl, teenage Latin popstar Shakira. The Epic recording artist graces the cover and several spreads of the Spring 2002 catalog, modeling and promoting purchase-with-purchase opportunities like an exclusive Shakira enhanced CD (including music and video footage). Shoppers are directed to the website to win Shakira's guitar or copies of her new album. A relatively unknown artist in the U.S., the partnership between Delia's and Shakira should raise both boats. But the move is, for Delia's, one away from an effectively simple format toward the star-studded world of teen magazines.

Every page of the catalog directs girls to Delia's.com. One section asks readers to send in their best love poems to be posted on the site, where their friends or their crush can get the message. This and promotions like the Shakira give-aways suggest Delia's is banking on the Web as the future of their business.

Not so, perhaps, for Abercrombie & Fitch. The New Jersey-based retailer of all American apparel is for many teens the only brand you need to know, but their website is peripheral to the main event. They've created a catalog so compelling that every new issue sees kids (with ID and $6 in hand) in line for a copy. The A&F Quarterly is a bonafide marketing event, featuring the full catalog, original and reprinted content like book, movie and CD reviews, and spread after spread of romping, beautiful models in varying states of undress. It's full of bawdy humor, both on the clothes themselves ("Fast Girls Finish First") and in the faux-magazine content ("Male Students Wanted for Sexual Research; payment per load"). Their website is tame by comparison, with none of the catalog's illicit appeal.

The A&F Quarterly has stirred controversy since it first began featuring nudity, sparking boycotts by Christian and pro-family forces, who want to ban the use of sex in marketing to young people. Needless to say, the controversy only makes the catalog more appealing, and a glance down the hallways of any school in America affirms that it sells clothes, too.

Granted, A&F stores do a fair amount of the selling for the brand, with their good looking sales associates and atmosphere conducive to hanging out. But the catalog is the real driver, giving kids permission to gawk at some of the finest physiques on earth and feel naughty as their parents fret about what it's all coming to. Creating a catalog that patrons are willing to pay for is a feat in itself, but The A&F Quarterly has evolved into a spectacle that no e-commerce site or store could get away with (yet).

And while A&F continues to push itself toward magazine-style content, one magazine has notably thrown itself in the direction of catalog-hood. The venerable Teen magazine has become the first 100% synergistic teen buying guide. In recent years, Teen has lost ground to the new generation of pubs and been left without much to distinguish itself from the lot. In an attempt to remain viable to advertisers, it has become "the only shopping, style, celebrity magazine for teens." The magazine industry, particularly in fashion, is no stranger to disguising product promotion as content, but Teen has taken the relationship to a new level. Every segment, from "Health" to celebrity profiles, offers readers comprehensive buying information, which often supersedes the articles themselves. An interview with teen popstar Mandy Moore discusses what she's wearing, how she decorated her trailer, and her newest accessory finds, interlaced with a listing of where to get each item. This "buying guide" may be just what girls are looking for, helping them emulate their idols and widening access to the hottest stuff. But as a source of information, this format cannot take any critical stances on the products it presents. If brands (be they apparel retailers or the magazines that pump them up) want to establish consumer trust, the move toward making advertisers the meat of the message may not be the right direction. As catalogs and magazines move to imitate each other's strengths, kids may find themselves increasingly asking, "why'd I pay for this?"