January sales are a major opportunity for e-commerce and retail brands. After the holiday rush, customers are still shopping, whether it’s to spend gift money, seize post-Christmas deals, or shop with fresh-year resolution spending. But in a digital world where inboxes are overflowing and social feeds are crowded, how do you truly stand out?
The answer: direct mail.
Direct Mail Cuts Through the Digital Noise
Online channels are saturated. The average consumer receives hundreds of promotional emails a day and sees countless digital ads. Direct mail, by contrast, lands physically in a customer’s home, where it commands attention and actually gets read. Because of this tactile presence, direct mail often achieves:
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Higher open and engagement rates than email campaigns
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More lasting attention from recipients
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A memorable experience that builds brand recall
In fact, research shows that personalised direct mail pieces are engaged with repeatedly and often kept in the home, which means your message stays in front of customers longer than a fleeting email or ad, boosting your chance of conversion.
It Drives Traffic Back to Your Online Store
Direct mail works with digital, not instead of it. Including QR codes, personalised URLs (PURLs) or unique discount codes in your mail pieces bridges physical and digital experiences, driving customers back online where they can complete purchases or discover your January promotions.
That’s why many brands use direct mail as part of an integrated strategy:
A postcard with a QR code linking to your best-selling January deals
A personalised mailer with an exclusive online discount code
A catalogue physically delivered, followed by email reminders
A direct mail campaign matched with retargeting ads for to your chosen clients
These techniques make direct mail measurable and actionable, helping you track engagement and sales driven by your mail campaigns.
Personalisation = Higher Response Rates
With the right customer data, you can tailor direct mail to:
Past purchases
Browsing behaviour
Customer location
Shopping preferences
Personalised mail isn’t just more appealing, it performs better. Highly targeted direct mail increases relevance for the recipient and boosts the likelihood they’ll act, whether by visiting your website, redeeming an offer or becoming a repeat buyer.
Builds Trust & Strengthens Customer Relationships
Receiving physical mail from a brand feels more personal and trustworthy than another forgotten email. Many customers report feeling valued when a business reaches out with a mail piece, and this perception builds loyalty, something especially valuable during key sales periods like January.
Perfect Timing for Post-Holiday Sales
January isn’t just for clearance, it’s when customers are planning new purchases and thinking about the year ahead. Direct mail campaigns timed just after New Year’s Day can:
Capture attention when digital clutter is lower
Reinforce your brand’s January offers
Encourage revisits from customers who bought with you in previous seasons
This post-holiday period is ideal for a well-timed mailer that tells customers what’s next in your store, from winter sales to new product launches.
How Mailings Direct Can Help Your January Strategy
At Mailings Direct, we specialise in end-to-end direct mail campaigns that connect with e-commerce goals, from creative design and list segmentation to printing and delivery. We also help you integrate your mail with digital tracking tools so you can measure responses and grow your business smarter.
Ready to plan your January direct mail campaign?
Contact us today and let’s craft a campaign that delivers results, directly to your customers’ doors.