• by Ray Schultz , April 25, 2023

Consumers in the U.K. have warmed up to email: 32% now say they find email messages useful, versus 15% in 2021, according to the Consumer Email Tracker 2023 Report from the Data & Marketing Association (DMA UK), with support by Deployteq.  

In addition, 64% of consumers rank email first as a preferred channel for receiving brand messages about discounts, offers and sales. Another 53% prefer email for new products/services and advice, and 44% for reviews. 

Mobile is now the most widely used platform for accessing email, with 79% saying they use it -- up from 62% in 2021. 

In contrast, desktop/laptop use for checking emails has fallen from 64% in 2021 to 37%. 

“Mobile is more prominent than ever in this year's statistics, says Pauline Bull, marketing director at Deployteq, “We see trends even more in favor of mobile as internet data becomes more accessible and the need for immediate gratification rises; it's easier to check emails on a phone than on a laptop!”

Meanwhile,hybrid and remote working are having an impact, with 23% of consumers now saying they do not have a work email address, compared to 50% in 2021. 

Also, 37% of consumers now keep separate inboxes for personal and marketing emails, up from 23% in 2021. 

There has been a general improvement in email clicks, with the report noting these year-on-year increases for consumers’ clicks:

• Discounts, offers or sales — 46% (up from 24% in 2021) 
• Advice, information, new products/services or tutorials — 34% (up from 19% in 2021)
• New product/service the shopper wants to buy — 40% (up from 21% in 2021) 
• Orders confirmations — 43% (compared to 29% in 2021)

One cautionary note is that (34%) of consumers often wonder about their email addresses' source.

“Email remains a key part of a consumer’s omni-channel journey,” says Ian Gibbs, Insight Director of the DMA UK. “Depending on how you view it, the cost-of-living crisis has either presented a crisis in marketing effectiveness, or it has created an environment of profound opportunity for marketers.” 

The DMA UK and Deployteq surveyed over 2,000 consumers.