Direct mail drives customers to retail stores. That’s according to a Direct Marketing Association study on response rates that shows 50% of customers responded to direct offers by visiting the retail stores that mailed them out.
A key objective reported by the majority of retailers surveyed (58%) was to build store traffic. The focus of another 27j% was to solicit orders and 15% use direct channels to generate leads.
“Last year, U.S. retailers generated nearly $189 million in sales to consumers through direct mail, telephone, newspaper and other marketing channels,” said H. Robert Wientzen, CEO of the DMA in a statement.
Some 63% of retailers said they use direct mail, and 42% use e-mail. Other direct media used includes coupons (18%), catalogs (12%), inserts (10%) and dimensional and telephone (both 9%).
Direct mail achieved the highest response rate of 4%. Mailings to prospect files had a slightly higher response rate than mailings to house files.
Catalog rates for retail stores were 3%. And e-mail offers delivered 2.3%.
