What does Direct Mail have to do with moving? According to a study published by Epsilon in 2016, about 12% of the US population moves each year. They are called “New Movers” upon moving.
Approx. 25% of the movers move due to sale of property. This portion of the “New Movers” are “New Homeowners”. New Homeowners are a noticeable chunk of the New Movers population. You’ll find how much more so, when you realize how much more they tend to spend during and after their move, as opposed to renters (the other types of New Movers). So what does Direct Mail have to do with them and what can you profit from it? Keep reading to find out.
The study points to a trend seen in recent years of “cord cutters” – mainly within younger population (which usually makes for renters, rather than homeowners) where as much as 58% of New Movers solely have a mobile phone, with 34% of this group owning a landline prior to moving. Similarly, New Movers use a variety of television services (Cable TV – 51%, Netflix – 31%, Satellite TV – 24%), but of the 18% who do not have cable, satellite or wired TV, 46% did have one of these services prior to moving. Nearly half decided to cancel their service within one month before the move.
New Movers’ top three sources of information about companies and services are: personal contact with the vendor, friend and family referrals and internet searches. This is a gold mine for businesses who can reach New Movers and New Homeowners via Direct Mail.
Nearly three-quarters of the population sampled in the study made major move-related purchases as part of a household move. Furniture topped the list (51%), followed closely by appliances (48%) then electronics (29%).
56% of major move-related purchases were made in the two months following the move.
69% of New Movers enjoy checking the mailbox for Direct Mail and 41% pay more attention to information received by Direct Mail than if it was received by Email.
72% of New Movers felt that they receive too many Emails in one day and 75% receive many emails that they don’t even open.
Those under 50 are more likely to use online sources such as internet searches, websites and online reviews when making move-related purchase decisions. However, more respondents under 50 (than over 50) agreed with the sentiment ‘Move related information received via Direct Mail was more trustworthy than information online’.
This finding correlates with findings in another study from 2017 which was performed in the UK.
The study shows New Movers spend upwards of $10,000, on average, on goods and services related to the move. It is imperative to remember that New Homeowners, while representing a small section of this target audience, spend enormously more ($35,000 or even more) within the first 3 months of their move. This is quite reasonable considering a homeowner can and will perform improvements such as roofing, remodeling, plumbing, solar systems, security systems, pool & SPA, heating and HVAC systems etc. – things that a renter (the other type of New Mover) cannot do in a rented property.
This makes the New Homeowners a lucrative target audience desirable to most big brands who invest huge budgets and seek high ROI.
If you are a small business owner – whether you own a dry cleaner shop, restaurant, pet service, medical clinic, shopping mall, store, general contracting business and any business selling goods or services to property owners – you simply CANNOT AFFORD TO MISS reaching New Movers – this is the one life event that has them spending lots of money while they are in great financial standing (good credit, loan approved etc.)
If your business has a product or service that a New Mover / New Homeowner needs, you should talk to us. We’ve been compiling the nation’s best New Homeowners Mailing List for over 40 years. We also can provide you with New Movers list if this target audience proves a better match. Each week we capture almost 100,000 New Homeowners who move into their new property. Want to know how many of them move into a neighborhood in your area of business? Don’t let your business lose another customer to your competitors just because you didn’t send them a simple flyer you can print in your office or home. Contact us today and find out how you can start adding new customers each week. Let us help you reach the right people at the right time, when they are ready to make a purchase.