Direct Mail Still Delivers!

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.