s.
What the Data Shows
Several recent industry surveys and benchmarks support this assertion:
- According to a report from Campaign Monitor, 52% of consumers have made a purchase directly from an email they received in the last 12 months. (Campaign Monitor)
- Another source (Porch Group Media/PGM Solutions) reports “60% of consumers have completed a purchase after receiving a marketing message by email.” (porchgroupmedia.com)
- And yet another (Omnisend) reports “Nearly 50% of consumers made a purchase directly from an email in the past year.” (Omnisend)
- In terms of ROI: Multiple sources show that email marketing delivers on average $36–$40 in revenue for every $1 spent. (Omnisend)
So the claim is well-supported: yes, more than half of consumers (in some studies ~52%-60%) report making a purchase because of a marketing email.
Why This Matters
1. Email Is Not Just Reach — It Converts
The fact that over half of recipients make a purchase demonstrates that email is more than a “touchpoint”. It directly drives sales. For marketers, this means email is both a brand-awareness channel and a conversion channel.
2. High ROI Backed by Real Actions
When consumers act—purchasing after receiving an email—it validates the high ROI numbers (e.g., $36 per dollar spent). If you were only getting opens or clicks without purchases, ROI would be lower; the fact of purchase confirms value.
3. Owned vs Paid Reach
Emails allow brands to engage an audience they own (subscribers) rather than renting reach (ads). When a large portion of those subscribers convert, it reinforces the strategic value of building and nurturing an email list.
4. Behavior & Expectation Shift
Consumers expect brands to communicate via email; they open emails, engage with them, and act on them. The “over half” metric means email remains relevant even amid social media, apps, SMS, etc.
Commentary & Insights
- A comment from industry summary:
“Over half of consumers (52 %) have made a purchase directly from an email … email remains comfortably the most influential and impactful marketing channel.” (Campaign Monitor)
This emphasizes email’s dominance. - Another insight:
“When marketed via email, consumers tend to spend 138 % more than shoppers that do not receive email offers.” (porchgroupmedia.com)
This suggests that not only do they buy, but they spend more. - From ROI viewpoint:
“Email marketing generates between $36 and $40 for every dollar spent.” (Omnisend)
The purchase-rate data (over half) helps explain how that ROI is possible.
However, it’s worth noting commentary that while many consumers purchase, list quality, relevance, timing, and automation matter a lot. If you just blast generic emails, you may not hit that conversion proportion.
Implications for Marketers
Given this data, marketers should pay attention to the following:
- Focus on welcome, abandoned-cart, re-engagement flows: These often have higher conversion rates. Since many consumers respond to emails, processes that trigger exactly when someone is primed to buy matter.
- Segment & personalize: Since so many consumers are willing to buy via email, relevance increases the likelihood of purchase. Generic mass emails may reduce conversion or increase unsubscribes.
- Optimize for mobile & timing: With many opens happening on mobile, your design and CTA must work well on phones.
- Track purchases from email (not just opens/clicks): To connect email’s impact, measurement must go beyond opens and click-throughs to actual conversions and revenue.
- Continue to invest in list growth & list health: Because converting the email list turns into real purchases, ensuring your subscriber list is engaged matters.
- Balance acquisition vs retention via email: Given the purchase behavior, email is valuable for repeat purchases or retention as much as first purchase.
- Here are detailed case studies and comments supporting the statistic that over half of consumers report making purchases from marketing emails in the past year, together with insights on why this matters and how marketers can act on it.
Supporting Data & Case Highlights
- According to Omnisend, “Nearly 50% of consumers made a purchase directly from an email in the past year.” (Omnisend)
- In another survey, “59% of consumers say they have made a purchase as a result of a marketing email.” (marketingltb.com)
- A summary from SendX shows “60% of consumers have made a purchase after receiving a marketing message by email.” (SendX)
- On ROI, sources such as EmailToolTester report average returns of about $36 for every $1 spent on email marketing (≈3,500% ROI) in recent years. (EmailTooltester.com)
Case Study Example
- From the email ROI statistics: “Consumers who purchase products through email spend 138% more than those that don’t receive email offers.”
- A business-case example: On Reddit, an e-commerce brand reported that after revamping their email flows they increased attributed email revenue significantly (from ~24% of revenue in 6 months) — showing how high-impact email can be. (Reddit)
Expert Comments & Insights
- One commentary:
“Nearly 50% of consumers made a purchase directly from an email campaign… confirming that email remains comfortably the most influential and impactful marketing channel.” (Omnisend)
- Another:
“The average value for every $1 spent on email marketing was $36-$38, and in some industries even higher (> $45).” (EmailTooltester.com)
- On consumer behavior:
“Email marketing continues to influence purchasing decisions: 59% of consumers say email messages impact their purchase behavior.” (Product London Design)
These comments reinforce that email isn’t just a “nice to have” channel—it’s a critical conversion engine.
Why This Matters
- High conversion potential: If over half of consumers are making purchases via email, then the channel is clearly capable of direct revenue—not just awareness or engagement.
- Superior ROI: The combination of high conversion and low cost (email is relatively inexpensive compared to many ad channels) means email often offers one of the best ROI figures among digital channels.
- Strategic priority: Marketers should prioritize email as part of their mix—not just as a “newsletter” add-on but as a core revenue-driving channel.
- Need for optimization: With high potential comes competition. To capitalize, you’ll need clean lists, good segmentation, personalized content, and optimized flows.
Actionable Takeaways for Marketers
- Build and segment your email list: Ensure you’re targeting engaged subscribers (higher chance to convert).
- Use automated and triggered emails: Welcome flows, cart-abandonment emails, post-purchase upsells perform especially well.
- Measure purchase-attribution: Track how many purchases come directly from email messages (not just opens/clicks).
- Optimize content and timing: With many consumers purchasing via email, your creative, offer, and timing matter more than ever.
- Focus on list health and relevance: Irrelevant emails can lead to unsubscribes and lower conversion, reducing your high potential.
- Leverage ROI benchmarks: Use the ~$36 per $1 spent figure as a baseline benchmark—but strive to beat it through optimization.