Study: How email is engaging shopper groups

While most shoppers say they'll spend about the same over the 2012 holidays as they did in 2011, how they're shopping has changed. And that means how brands and merchants try to engage needs to change as well. One big change: when shopping will start. Already Black Friday sales flyers have leaked onto the Internet, making it easy for shoppers to plan their shopping attack. More than that, about 41% of Americans say they'll begin shopping for Christmas before Halloween according to the National Retail Federation (NRF).

"With the holiday season just around the corner, it is important for retailers to understand their customers and how best to communicate and interact with them," said Ross Kramer, CEO of Listrak. "In a previous study that we conducted at Listrak, we found that on average 80 percent of consumers buying from our eCommerce clients only made a purchase once. That is a huge missed opportunity for online retailers. Sending targeted emails to consumers is essential if retailers want to turn one-time purchasers into loyal customers."

Some interesting takeaways include:

• Targeted subject lines improve open rates - 53% said they opened an email because of a showcased offer
• Men over ag 55 are more likely than their younger counterparts to have made a purchase because of an email message
• 87% of those receiving retailer emails open the messages

Mobile is another big change - half of smartphone owners and more than 60% of tablet owners say they'll shop via mobile over the 2012 holidays, says the NRF. Total holiday spending (2012) should surpass $586 billion, a 4% increase over 2011 numbers. Not a huge increase, but with the right marketing, brands can improve on 2011.

Tags: 2012 holiday spending, ecommerce trend, email marketing, Listrak, mobile commerce, National Retail Federation