Trends in consumer and business direct mail volumes

A comprehensive overview of the direct mail market since the 1980s, this exclusive Royal Mail-produced data reveals the trends in direct mail and how it is affected by the wider economy.

It also compares mail volumes across the consumer and business sectors and examines the volumes across all industry sectors, including finance, home shopping, travel and tourism and government.

Key insights include:

• Consumer direct mail has grown by 185% from 1988 to 2008, as improved segmentation has led to improved response rates. In contrast, B2B direct mail has increased by only 60% over the same period.

• While the weakness in the economy has reduced financial direct mail volumes, figures for July to September 2009 reveal that they held up better in mail order and increased across the utilities, health and travel sectors.

• 26% of direct mail between July and September 2009 was generated by the financial sector, while 22% came from the retail or home shopping sectors.

• The cost of producing and posting direct mail is lower now than it was in 2005 even though mail volumes have increased.