March Promotional Emails Up 18%

April 6, 2011

retail-email-index-apr-2011.JPGThe top online retailers sent each of their subscribers 3.2 promotional emails on average during the week ending Apr. 1, 2011, according to Chad White, research director at Responsys and author of the Retail Email Blog. That’s flat week-over-week, up 12% from where it was four weeks ago, and up 18% year-over-year.

Promotional Email Volume Stays Well Above 2010 Levels

During February and March 2011, average retail email volume has been up substantially from where it was a year earlier. The highest average number of emails top online retailers sent their subscribers in any given week during the equivalent period in 2010 was 2.8 (week ending March 19, 2010), while this year it was closer to 2.9 (week ending March 4).

It is also worth noting that Easter arrived on April 4, 2010, as opposed to April 24 this year. Yet even accounting for the normal bump in retail email volume in the two to three weeks before Easter, March 2011 still outperformed March 2010 by a healthy margin.

April Fools’ Peaks, Easter Picks Up

retail-email-seasonality-mar-11-apr-2011.JPGThe volume of emails relating to April Fools’ Day steadily increased during the month and peaked the week ending April 1, 2011, with a participation rate of slightly more than 4%. Emails relating to the upcoming Easter holiday roughly doubled in volume, from 2% to 4%, between the weeks ending March 25 and April 1, and should hit their peak in a couple of weeks. References to Mothers’ Day (May 8, 2011) are also starting to increase.

Friday on Retailers’ Minds

retail-email-participation-mar-11-apr-2011.JPGFriday, April 1, 2011 was the most popular day of the week ending April 1for sending promotional emails, with 56% of the top online retailers sending their subscribers at least one. This may in part be due to emails relating to April Fools’ Day.

Monday, March 28 was the second-most-popular day for sending promotional emails, with 52% of the top online retailers doing so. Saturday, March 26 was the least popular day by a wide margin (only 23% participation). Although Sunday typically has the lowest- or second-lowest promotional email participation rate of the week, last week it tied for second-lowest rate with Thursday (39%).

Retail Email Shows YOY Spike in Feb.

The top online retailers sent each of their subscribers 2.9 promotional emails on average during the week ending Feb. 25, 2011, according to previous data from Chad White. That’s down 1% week-over-week, down 1% from where it was four weeks ago, and up 16% year-over-year. During January 2011, retail email volume was also up substantially from where it was a year earlier.

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