DHL Study: Subscribers of Online Retailer’s Email Newsletters Expect Discounts

Email Subscription Incentives: Key Insights

• High Prevalence of Email Subscriptions: Across the 24 countries that were part of the DHL study, only 17% of consumers said they have never subscribed to an email newsletter. It shows that a large majority has received email newsletters at some point.

• Most Frequently Cited Reasons to Subscribe: Almost 60% of consumers say they expect discounts and rewards when subscribing to an email newsletter. Other reasons mostly include advantages like exclusive access or increased personalization.

Email newsletter subscriptions inform customers of new product releases, provide information about what’s going on with the company, and grant rewards or exclusive offers. According to DHL’s E-Commerce Trends Report 2024, only 17% of online shoppers in the world say they have never subscribed to an email newsletter.

This shows that most consumers have received email subscription newsletters at one time or another. But what are the incentivizes for them to do so?

Why Shoppers Subscribe to an eCommerce Email Newsletter

DHL asked online shoppers in a worldwide survey across 24 countries for the reasons why they would subscribe to an online retailer’s email newsletter. The most frequently given response shows that consumers expect a clear benefit from their subscription: 59% of shoppers say they subscribe to receive discounts and rewards for their purchases.

• 33% of subscribers want to learn more about products and services. 

• 29% expect exclusive access and another 29% want to keep up to date with the retailer. 

• 24% want to receive personalized recommendations.

In a country-based depiction, consumers in the United Arab Emirates, Turkey, and Nigeria are most likely to subscribe, while shoppers in France, Poland, and China are least likely. 

There are also national privacy laws to contend with, which makes collecting first-party data more complex with a one-size-fits-all approach across markets.

Sources: DHL