Consumers Are Overwhelmed with Retail Emails

Many retailers rely to email to drive sales

March 22, 2016 | Email

Retailers are continually relying on email to build a relationship with new and existing customers, and, ultimately, drive sales. But according to November 2015 data, consumers are getting too many emails from retailers.

First Insight surveyed 1,112 US internet users and asked them about their thoughts on emails they receive from retailers and their impact. Two-thirds of respondents who received five or more retailer emails per week felt that they received too many.

A comparatively low 21% of internet users who received fewer than five emails per week also felt that they received too many.

Generally, retailers use emails for a variety of reasons, whether that’s to bolster subscription sign-ups or remind consumers they have abandoned a product in their shopping cart. A survey from Publicare Marketing Communications analyzed 6,109 retail websites from April 2015 to June 2015 that offer email subscriptions and found that 87.3% of US digital retailers encourage email subscription sign-ups on their site simply by placing a form on their homepage.

And while email can be an effective marketing channel, if it’s used too often, it can possible turn away new and existing customers.