Although many retail businesses have mastered multichannel direct marketing, quite a few are still apprentices when it comes to cross-channel integration, according to “Channel Integration and Benchmarks in the Retail Industry,” a new report from the Direct Marketing Association.
The report also found:
* The absence of a brick-and-mortar store is becoming prevalent among retailers — 41% of survey respondents don’t have a physical store.
* The Web site is the most consistently used direct marketing channel, followed by e-mail and direct mail.
* Mobile is the direct marketing channel retailers are least likely to use.
* Among the survey respondents, 66% gather customer information from direct mail, and 65% from the Internet.
* A full 83 % of respondents segment their customers based on demographics, 77% on purchasing frequency, and 76% on products purchased.
* Only 33% of respondents provide cross-channel order fulfillment.
* Discounts remain the most popular loyalty program, with 80% of respondents using them.
The DMA conducted this survey in November, with 101 retailers participating.
Network
