You've Got (Too Much) Mail

Are retail emails compelling enough to open? Many consumers say no.

In fact, of the 1,006 US digital buyers surveyed in a June 2018 study from Yes Lifecycle, just 9% of respondents said they don't ignore emails from retailers.

But why? For one, they get too many of them.

More than half (55%) of respondents said as much, with younger digital buyers—those ages 18 to 23—more likely to feel this way than their older cohorts. Nearly as many respondents (50%) said they disregard emails because the product recommendations they're seeing are irrelevant.

There were also those who felt that the emails hitting their inbox were too personalized, and ultimately creeped them out (12%) or lacked the kind of personalization the survey respondents were looking for (11%).

Meanwhile, roughly one-third of those polled ignored retail emails because they didn't offer anything, like a percentage off their purchase or free shipping.

Discounts are certainly one way to drive consumer engagement, in addition to driving email conversions.

A survey from SendinBlue conducted late last year found that email is still one of the primary ways that consumers want to receive information from retailers. The study found that many respondents were motivated to open up a message if it featured a promotion. As did a recent study conducted by Adobe in June of this year. Some 50% of smartphone-owning US internet users cited email as the preferred contact method to receive an offer from brands.