Mail Read Rates Hit an All Time High

Mail read rates hit an all-time high in Q4 2024 as the channel continues to assert its Super Touchpoint strengths

We are delighted to share the latest JICMAIL data, which once again highlights the unparalleled effectiveness of mail as a “Super Touchpoint” in engaging consumers. With mail read rates reaching an all-time high of 77% during Q4 2024, businesses across the UK are increasingly recognising the power of direct mail to cut through the noise and deliver measurable results. At Citipost Mail, we combine deep industry expertise with innovative solutions to help brands maximise the potential of this high-impact channel, ensuring their marketing campaigns resonate with audiences and drive tangible outcomes.

London, 5 March 2025 – The latest quarterly results from JICMAIL reveal that 77% of mail (including Direct Mail, Door Drops and Business Mail) was read or looked at in the crucial Q4 trading period. This represents an all-time high reading of this crucial engagement metric since JICMAIL began tracking consumer mail behaviours eight years ago.

JICMAIL – The Joint Industry Currency for Mail – has revealed that in the run-up to Christmas increased mail activity in the grocery and travel markets across all mail types, and across utilities, medical, finance and telecoms in the Door Drops sector, has captured the attention of consumers at a time of year when it is traditionally harder than ever for advertisers to cut through.

• With mail read-rates hitting a peak in Q4 2024, and year-on-year growth in frequency of interaction seen across Direct Mail, Door Drops and Business Mail, JICMAIL can report that the average DM piece is interacted with for 133 seconds across a 28 day period, while the average Door Drop generates 56 seconds of attention.

• 6% of mail prompted a purchase in the critical Q4 trading period, and testament to the seamless omni-channel strengths that are displayed by a Super Touchpoint, half of these purchases were transacted online. Supermarkets, retailers, charities and financial service products such as credit cards and pensions, recorded above-average response rates across both Door Drops and Direct Mail.

• Loyalty reward statements proved to be one of the most effective drivers of response in the Direct Mail space, while for Door Drops, the use of vouchers and special offers was found to be particularly effective.

• Mail’s ability to retain customers and deepen loyalty further speaks to the channel’s Super Touchpoint strengths. Business Mail frequency of interaction and lifespan in the home grew year-on-year for the third quarter in a row; while Business Mail attention levels hit an all-time-high reading of 191 seconds per mail item.

• According to JICMAIL-endorsed Nielsen circulation data 7,763 advertisers used Direct Mail or Door Drops in 2024, amounting to 15% of all UK advertisers tracked by Nielsen.

Key mail metrics for Q4 2024 can be summarised as follows:

Q4 2024 KEY MAIL METRICS
	Frequency*	Item Reach**	Lifespan***	Attention****
Direct Mail	4.4 interactions	1.13 people	7.0 days	133 seconds
Door Drops	3.1 interactions	1.06 people	5.7 days	56 seconds
Business Mail	4.8 interactions	1.17 people	8.6 days	191 seconds
Partially Addressed	3.8 interactions	1.09 people	6.2 days	80 seconds

 

% of ALL Mail…	Read / looked / glanced at	Recycled (base: discarded mail)	Prompted a purchase	Prompted a discussion	Prompted a website visit
Q4 2024	77%	87%	6%	15%	8%
Q4 2023	76%	80%	6%	15%	8%

Source: JICMAIL Item Data Q4 2024 n=9,875 Direct Mail, Door Drop, Partially Addressed and Business Mail items

Ian Gibbs, JICMAIL, Director of Data Leadership and Learning, said “Everyone knows that the competition for consumer eyeballs is more fierce than ever in Q4. Combined with the ongoing challenges of platform dominated ad spend, persistent use of last-click attribution models, and rising levels of digital ad fraud, it is more important than ever for marketers to consider their investments in Super Touchpoints in this crucial trading period. Mail has again proven its strengths throughout the purchase cycle in Q4 and the record levels of mail read-rates show just how much appetite consumers have for marketing comms delivered through the mail channel.”   

 Mark Cross, Engagement Director, JICMAIL added, “The power of mail as a Super Touchpoint across the most critical trading season of the year for many was apparent again in this season. The question to ask for non-users is what reward did you sacrifice by not using mail when your competitive users converted 133 seconds of attention from direct mail into response rates just not achievable in digital.”  

As experts in direct mail marketing, Citipost Mail is committed to helping businesses harness the proven strengths of mail to connect with their customers in meaningful ways. Whether you’re looking to enhance loyalty, drive purchases, or integrate mail seamlessly into a multi-channel strategy, our team is here to guide you every step of the way. With consumer attention at a premium, now is the time to capitalise on mail’s unmatched ability to engage, convert, and retain. Let Citipost Mail be your trusted partner in unlocking the full potential of this powerful marketing channel – contact our team of experts today.

 

 

References:

JIC Mail – Quartly Results – Q4 2024 

Key JICMAIL reporting metrics include:

*Frequency of Interaction / Exposure: The number of times a mail piece is interacted with over the course of a 28 day period, or how often the average person interacts with their mail.

**Item Reach: The number of people in a household who are exposed / interact with a mail item.

***Lifespan: The number of days a mail item is in the home before it is thrown or filed away.

****Attention: The number of seconds that a mail item is physically interacted with across a 28 day period.

+Share of Doormat: The proportion of mail volumes on the JICMAIL panel accounted for by an advertiser against a defined competitive set.

++Share of Attention: The proportion of the total number of seconds spent with mail accounted for by an advertiser against within a defined competitive set.