The survey valued consumer sales at 拢26.3bn for 2003, up from 拢25.1bn last year. It claimed that consumers spent an average of 拢577 in the last year as a result of being mailed, with 41% of consumers now buying in response to the medium.
The largest single area of spending is clothing, accounting for 拢9.5bn (36%) of the total, while books bring in 拢4bn of sales and entertainment 拢0.6bn.
By contrast, spending on electrical goods and household supplies fell back. The survey claims that electrical goods sales dropped from 拢4bn in 2002 to 拢1.8bn this year, and that household supplies plummeted 73% year-on-year to 拢0.9bn.
Consumers in the ABC1 bracket accounted for 62% of DM sales, with the rest from the C2DE group. The survey also indicates that consumers in the north of Britain are more likely to purchase through direct mail, with 66% of sales compared to 34% for the south.
The majority of those who purchase via DM -- 20% -- spend under 拢100, while 1% admit to spending over 拢10,000.
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