In a nation-wide study conducted by Sweeney Research and commissioned by the ACA, 89 per cent of households surveyed said they were happy to receive catalogues in their letterboxes, with 85 per cent of consumers saying they read such material.

The research also found that 77 per cent of households read grocery-related unaddressed mail, with 81 per cent of these people either seeking more information on a product or making a grocery purchase after reading.

The figures represent an improvement in attitudes towards UAM since Sweeney’s last report in 2006.

“Consumers continue to believe unaddressed advertising mail is effective and much needed in the community,” said ACA chief executive Ken Bishop. “It improves the quality and availability of product and price information and helps consumers to make better purchasing decisions.”

“The research also demonstrates to Australian retailers the remarkable effectiveness of this form of marketing. It allows retailers to engage directly with the consumer and enables them to deliver important information about products into a consumer’s home, so they can make an informed decision at a time that suits them.”

“These results also indicate that more than anything else, unaddressed advertising mail helps Australian consumers save money and stay in touch with bargains and product information – connecting people to local marketplace, communities and institutions.”

In 2008, the catalogue industry delivered more than 8 billion pieces of unaddressed advertising mail across Australia.

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