• by Jack Loechner , Staff Writer @mp_research, March 3, 2005

Direct Mail Piece Sends One Forth of the Recipients to the Store

24 percent of adults who read direct mail, have visited a store in the past 90 days prompted by receiving a retailer's direct mail piece, according to a new Vertis Retail Direct Marketing study "Customer Focus 2005." Thérèse Mulvey, vice president, marketing research, at Vertis, said "Adults have become more receptive to using direct mail to obtain information on the prices and selections available, and it has proven to be an effective medium for retailers to connect with new customers."

According to the Customer Focus study, 63 percent of adults say that an interesting looking package makes a difference as to which direct mail they open. For 51 percent, a special offer or discount will make a difference as to whether or not they open the direct mail.

The study includes additional findings, which provide insight into the direct mail readership of consumers in the retail industry:

- 33 percent of older baby boomer (1946-1955) women said they visited a new store in the past 90 days based on direct mail received from a retailer

- 28 percent of Generation X (1965-1976) men who read direct mail visited a store where they typically do not shop based on direct mail

- 26 percent of female Generation Y (1977-1994) direct mail readers said they visited a new store based on direct mail

- Of the total adults surveyed, 25 percent of those with a household income of $30,000

- $50,000 who read direct mail said they visited a store where they typically do not shop due to direct mail

- 94 percent of female younger baby boomer (1956-1964) read mail from discount stores, and 95 percent from department stores.

- 90 percent of female Generation Y (1977-1994) read grocery direct mail, and 75 percent read information received from a home improvement store.

- 82 percent of Generation X women who read retail direct mail said they have replied to buy-one-get-one free messages, compared to 63 percent of men.

- 79 percent Of the male Generation Y adults said they respond to direct mail messages that include discounts off a single item, compared to 67 percent of women.

- 76 percent of adults with a household income of $50,000

- $75,000 have responded to messages with coupons, while 72 percent of adults with a household income of less than $30,000 responded to buy-one-get-one free offers.

- 71 percent of clothing store direct mail readers are women, 29 percent are men, and 23 percent are younger baby boomer adults

- 51 percent of home electronics store direct mail readers are men and 49 percent are women

- 27 percent of home electronics direct mail readers are Generation X adults

You can find out more here.