New York–A Direct Marketing Association survey shows that the growth in direct marketing sales outpaced overall U.S. sales growth by 54% in 2000, reaching $1.73 trillion in 2000. The report also shows that while 2001 direct marketing sales growth won’t reach last year’s levels, it will increase 9.6% annually through 2005.
Consumer direct marketing sales reached $937.7 billion in 2000, up 9.2% from 1999. Consumer direct marketing sales also grew by 9.1% annually from 1995 to 2000, compared to total U.S. consumer sales growth of 6.5% during that time. Business-to-business direct marketing sales hit $792.8 billion in 2000, a 12.1% jump over 1999 b-to-b sales.
Online sales reached $24.2 billion in 2000, according to the DMA report, a 75.3% gain over the $13.8 billion spent in ’99. Direct marketing companies spent $2.8 billion on interactive media marketing in 2000, a 70.3% increase over the $1.6 billion spent in ’99.