Christmas cards boost sales, says Royal Mail

Research by Royal Mail has revealed that businesses that sent Christmas cards to their customers last year experienced a corresponding uplift in sales and customer loyalty.

The survey, conducted for Royal Mail by TNS, showed that last Christmas 48 per cent of UK consumers received at least one card from a high street store or local restaurant.

61 per cent of people were prompted to make a purchase and over 80 per cent of them spent up to GBP100 - an 11 per cent increase on 2007.

This equates to a potential sales uplift of up to GBP1.054 billion and a return of investment (ROI) of GBP1:GBP100.

Additionally, 13 per cent of people who received a card from a business spent more than GBP100 and seven per cent made a purchase in excess of GBP500.

55 per cent of recipients displayed the card at home among personal Christmas cards throughout the festive period prompting brand recall of almost 20 per cent.

This contrasts with the 63 per cent of individuals that opened, but immediately deleted, seasonal greetings from organisations through e-mail.

The research also revealed that 15 per cent of consumers said receiving a Christmas card from an organisation made them feel valued and would boost their loyalty to that company - this rose to 26 per cent among the 16-24 age group.

37 per of consumers believe that Christmas cards from organisations are a nice gesture with 55-64 year olds responding most positively (43 per cent).

34 per cent of 55-64 years olds made a purchase of over GBP100 after receiving a business Christmas card, 21 per cent more than the UK average.

Over 45s were found to be most likely to display a business Christmas card at home over the festive period with 69 per cent adding it to their personal card collection, 14 per cent higher than the UK average.

Lastly, 63 per cent of consumers preferred to receive seasonal greetings through the post rather than via e-mail.

For organisations considering sending cards to their customer base this year, Royal Mail recommends a post date of 12 December to increase the longevity of the communication.

Planning the campaign, including checking the accuracy of the name and address data within the database, should start in the first week of November.

Mark Thomson, director at Royal Mail, said: 'Sending a Christmas card helps businesses reconnect with customers that have lapsed and thank current ones for their continued custom, leading to increased loyalty and sales.

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