Customers could be compared not just by RFM segment, but also by media. By tracking sales, Sears learned that the half-life of a catalog was 20 days after it was mailed. That means that after 20 days, they have received half of the orders that they are going to get from that particular catalog. Tracking meant they could determine the entire success of a book by sales made during the first 20 days. Sears sales were found to parallel customer activity.
Sales are up also.
Sales from every single catalog but one went up after the database kicked in. The Fall and Winter catalog had a 10 percent increase in sales. The Fall Values catalog had a 7 percent increase in sales. The Super Sale catalog sales were up 10 percent. The Christmas Wish Book sales increased by 26 percent.