Experian Marketing Services shows 2013 is record-breaking year for holiday email volume, transactions and revenue
Email volume surges nearly 13 percent year over year; increases 35 percent in last 10 days of holiday season
New York, N.Y., Jan. 14, 2014 — According to Experian Marketing Services, a global provider of integrated consumer insight and targeting, data quality and cross-channel marketing, the volume of emails sent by marketers increased nearly 13 percent during the 2013 holiday season compared with the 2012 holiday season, which also saw record highs in volume. While email click-through rates and transaction metrics decreased year over year, the increase in email volume led to a 9 percent rise in the number of total transactions from email marketing campaigns and an 18.4 percent increase in overall revenue. Further, email volume within the last 10 days of the holiday season increased 35.8 percent over 2012.
The complete Experian Marketing Services Holiday Hot Sheet analysis is available to download at their website.
“Marketers have become more sophisticated in their email marketing strategies, and we’re seeing that reflected in the data,” noted Peter DeNunzio, general manager, cross-channel marketing, Experian Marketing Services. “Traditionally, as email volume increases, performance decreases, but in the 2013 holiday season we saw the opposite. An increase in total transactions and revenue tells us that leading marketers have found their stride, sending more relevant emails to each customer based on his or her unique needs.”
Industry |
Email volume in 2013 season, Sept. 29–Dec. 31 |
Email volume in last 10 days, Dec. 22–31 |
All industry |
12.8% |
35.8% |
Business products and services |
-11.8% |
-4.3% |
Catalogers |
36.5% |
26.6% |
Consumer products and services |
8.5% |
39.2% |
Media and entertainment |
9.8% |
40.9% |
Multichannel retailers |
9.3% |
33.5% |
Publishers |
16.4% |
38.5% |
Travel |
2.8% |
-6.3% |
Source: Experian Marketing Services | ||
Top days for email transactions: Shoppers buy early and on Fridays
According to the Experian Marketing Services analysis, two of the top 10 transaction days of the 2013 holiday season occurred during the first half of November. In 2012, the earliest top 10 transaction day was the day before Thanksgiving. In 2013, Nov. 8 and Nov. 15 made it into the top 10 (seventh and fifth, respectively). Meanwhile, four out of the 10 days were Fridays. “With Thanksgiving late again in 2014, the key lesson for marketers is that there is an opportunity to win early in the season and before the weekend,” said DeNunzio.
Top 10 transaction days — 2013 holiday season | ||||
Date |
Event |
Day |
Transaction rank |
Volume rank |
12/02/13 |
Cyber Monday |
Monday |
1 |
1 |
11/29/13 |
Black Friday |
Friday |
2 |
2 |
11/28/13 |
Thanksgiving |
Thursday |
3 |
3 |
12/01/13 |
Sunday after Black Friday |
Sunday |
4 |
9 |
11/15/13 |
Nov. 15 |
Friday |
5 |
19 |
11/27/13 |
Day before Thanksgiving |
Wednesday |
6 |
10 |
11/08/13 |
Nov. 8 |
Friday |
7 |
35 |
12/13/13 |
Twelve days until Christmas |
Friday |
8 |
5 |
12/03/13 |
Day after Cyber Monday |
Tuesday |
9 |
14 |
12/18/13 |
Seven days until Christmas |
Wednesday |
10 |
7 |
Source: Experian Marketing Services | ||||
Two-thirds of emails sent by multichannel retailers were opened on mobile
The percentage of total emails opened on mobile devices increased in 2013 for most industries. Multichannel retailers had the highest percentage of mobile opens this holiday season at 65 percent and were the only industry to receive more than half of their clicks on mobile as well.
The email volume and performance metrics are based on Experian Marketing Services’ analysis of 385 current brands that also mailed during the 2012 holiday season. All data is viewed at three days from sent.
Contact:
Suzanne Blackburn
Experian Marketing Services
1 212 863 4648
suzanne.blackburn@experian.com
About Experian Marketing Services
Experian Marketing Services is a global provider of integrated consumer insights and targeting, data quality and cross-channel marketing. We help organizations from around the world intelligently interact with today’s dynamic, empowered and hyperconnected customers. By coordinating seamless interactions across all marketing channels, marketers are able to plan and execute superior brand experiences that deepen customer loyalty, strengthen brand advocacy and maximize profits.
For more information, please visit http://www.experian.com/marketingservices.
About Experian
Experian® is the leading global information services company, providing data and analytical tools to clients around the world. The Group helps businesses to manage credit risk, prevent fraud, target marketing offers and automate decision making. Experian also helps individuals to check their credit report and credit score, and protect against identity theft.
Experian plc is listed on the London Stock Exchange (EXPN) and is a constituent of the FTSE 100 index. Total revenue for the year ended March 31, 2013, was US$4.7 billion. Experian employs approximately 17,000 people in 40 countries and has its corporate headquarters in Dublin, Ireland, with operational headquarters in Nottingham, UK; California, US; and São Paulo, Brazil.
For more information, visit http://www.experianplc.com.
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