Some consumers may be beginning to rethink their decision to opt-in to various email lists from online merchants as e-tailers are increasing the frequency and forwardness of communications in an effort to spur people to buy.
According to an Associated Press report, retailers are imbuing a sense of urgency with their emails including subject lines such as "Last chance to save 20 percent," or "Hurry, final sale ends."
Cory Porter, an online shopping regular living in Washington, D.C., said the number of emails he has received has almost doubled in the past couple of months and most of them are not relevant to his needs. "I find them annoying," he said. "I am a 32-year-old guy who lives in an urban area with no kids. In other words, I don't need blouses, high heels, or kid's juice boxes."
E-tailing analysts said that while online will continue to outperform stores in terms of year-over-year percentage growth, there is no doubt that the economic factors that have hurt brick and mortar operations are also being felt in the virtual world.
The relative low-cost and speedy turnaround of sending out email blasts are among the benefits that make e-tailers turn to this tactic when sales activity begins to slow. There are also the returns. According to the Direct Marketers Association, marketers bring in an average of $45.06 in return for every dollar spent on an email campaign compared to $7.28 for catalogs and $15.55 for direct mail.
A study by Internet Retailer found that among 174 online merchants, nearly half have increased the number of emails sent out this year versus last. Forrester Research predicts that emails will grow from 158 billion in 2008 to 258 billion, a 63 percent increase, by 2013.
Consumers, however, are getting to the point where they are now beginning to push back and say enough is enough.
Michael Wagner, CEO of etoys.com, said his company drives about 12 percent of its revenues with e-blasts while adding, "We are concerned about exhausting the customer."
The biggest issue for many consumers is the lack of relevancy in email messages from online retailers. Stephanie Miller, vice president of market development for Return Path Inc., told the AP that less than 20 percent of e-mails from retailers are customized for the consumer receiving them.
Discussion Questions: Has the number of email messages sent by online merchants become too great or is the real problem in the messages? How do e-tailers overcome the traps?