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35 B2C Email Marketing Statistics Every E-commerce Brand Needs to Know
Author :
MailMend Team
December 19, 2025
Data-driven insights revealing why inbox placement, personalization, and automation determine email marketing success for DTC brands
Email remains the highest-ROI channel for e-commerce brands, yet most marketing emails never reach the primary inbox where customers actually engage. With 4.48 billion people using email in 2025 and 376 billion emails sent daily, the competition for attention has never been fiercer. Brands using Mailmend's inbox placement technology report 50-100% revenue increases by ensuring promotional emails bypass Gmail's Promotions tab and land in the Primary inbox—where open rates and conversions dramatically improve.
Key Takeaways
Email marketing delivers unmatched ROI – Retailers earn $45 for every dollar spent on email marketing, outperforming every other digital channel
Inbox placement determines success – Emails in the Primary inbox receive significantly higher engagement than those filtered to Promotions tabs
Automation multiplies revenue – Automated emails generate 320% more revenue than standard campaigns
Personalization is now expected – 71% of consumers expect personalized brand interactions
Mobile optimization is critical – 42.3% of users delete emails not optimized for mobile devices
Welcome emails outperform all others – Welcome sequences achieve 68.6% open rates
Abandoned cart recovery drives revenue – Cart emails generate $3.45 per recipient
The State of B2C Email Marketing: Key Statistics
1. Email marketing revenue reached $12.33 billion in 2024
The global email marketing industry continues its expansion, with revenue hitting $12.33 billion in 2024. This growth reflects increased investment from e-commerce brands recognizing email's unmatched return on marketing spend.
2. Market projected to reach $17.9 billion by 2027
Email marketing revenue is expected to grow at a 13.3% CAGR through 2027, reaching $17.9 billion. This trajectory confirms email's continued dominance as a primary revenue driver for B2C brands.
3. 4.48 billion people use email globally in 2025
The addressable audience for email marketing continues expanding, with 4.48 billion users worldwide in 2025, projected to reach 4.85 billion by 2027. This universal adoption makes email essential for reaching consumers across demographics.
4. 60% of consumers prefer email contact from brands
When asked about brand communication preferences, 60% of consumers choose email over other channels. This preference makes email the most welcomed marketing touchpoint available to e-commerce brands.
5. 99% of email users check their inbox daily
Nearly all email users check messages daily, with 88% checking multiple times per day. This habitual behavior creates consistent opportunities for brand engagement—but only when emails reach the Primary inbox.
Why Inbox Placement Is Critical for B2C Success
6. B2C emails average 19.7% open rates
Industry benchmarks show B2C emails achieve a 19.7% average open rate compared to B2B's 15.14%. However, this average obscures a critical reality: emails landing in the Primary inbox dramatically outperform those filtered to Promotions tabs.
7. Average email open rate across industries is 36.5%
Constant Contact data reveals an average open rate of 36.5% across all industries. The gap between this benchmark and actual performance often traces directly to inbox placement issues that prevent emails from reaching subscribers.
8. Retail emails see 33.1% open rates and 0.9% click rates
Retail-specific benchmarks show 33.1% open rates with 0.9% click rates. E-commerce brands achieving Primary inbox placement consistently exceed these averages. Brands featured in Mailmend case studies regularly report 20-50% improvements in open rates within 24 hours of implementation.
9. 52% of consumers purchased directly from email last year
More than half of consumers—52%—made a purchase directly from a marketing email in the past year. This conversion potential makes inbox placement the single most important factor in email marketing ROI.
10. 59% of consumers say emails influence purchase decisions
Marketing emails directly influence 59% of consumer purchase decisions. When these emails land in the Promotions tab instead of the Primary inbox, this influence drops significantly as visibility and engagement decrease.
Open Rate Statistics: Boosting Visibility for Higher Engagement
11. Welcome emails achieve 68.6% open rates
Welcome sequences deliver the highest engagement, with 68.6% average open rates. These emails set the tone for subscriber relationships—making their inbox placement critical for long-term customer value.
12. Abandoned cart emails hit 50.50% open rates
Cart abandonment emails achieve 50.50% open rates, representing substantial revenue recovery opportunities. Ensuring these high-intent emails reach the Primary inbox maximizes their conversion potential.
13. Retail industry achieves 41.77% open rates in GetResponse data
GetResponse benchmarks show retail brands achieving 41.77% open rates with proper optimization. This figure demonstrates what's possible when deliverability and inbox placement align.
14. Email open rates increased 12.84 percentage points in 2023
Global average email open rates increased by 12.84 percentage points in 2023, though GetResponse notes this may be partially due to data distortion from Apple's Mail Privacy Protection. This trend indicates growing consumer receptivity to email marketing when combined with legitimate engagement drivers.
Click-Through Rate Statistics: Driving Action from Your Emails
15. Average email CTR is 3.25% across all industries
Global benchmarks show a 3.25% average CTR across industries. E-commerce brands often fall below this average due to Promotions tab filtering reducing email visibility.
16. B2C emails achieve 2.09% click rates versus B2B's 3.18%
B2C emails see 2.09% click rates compared to B2B's 3.18%. This gap largely reflects the aggressive filtering of promotional content that characterizes B2C email marketing.
17. Retail CTR reaches 5.10% with proper optimization
GetResponse data shows optimized retail emails achieving 5.10% click-through rates—more than double the B2C average. This performance gap highlights the revenue opportunity from improved inbox placement.
18. Personalized emails achieve 41% click-through rates
Emails with personalization achieve 41% click-through rates, dramatically outperforming generic messages. However, personalization means nothing if emails never reach the Primary inbox where subscribers engage.
Email Revenue & ROI Statistics: Maximizing Your E-commerce Sales
19. Email delivers $36 ROI for every $1 spent
Email marketing generates an average $36 return for every dollar invested—a 3,600% ROI that no other marketing channel matches. This return makes email optimization the highest-leverage investment for e-commerce brands.
20. Retail and e-commerce achieve $45 per $1 spent
The retail and e-commerce sector outperforms the average, earning $45 for every dollar spent on email marketing. Brands maximizing inbox placement capture an even larger share of this potential return.
21. Abandoned cart emails generate $3.45 per recipient
Cart recovery emails deliver $3.45 revenue per recipient, making them among the highest-value automated emails. Primary inbox placement ensures these emails reach customers at their highest purchase intent moment.
22. Automated flows generate 30x more revenue per recipient
Klaviyo data confirms automated email flows generate 30x more revenue per recipient than standard campaigns. Ensuring these flows reach the Primary inbox multiplies their already substantial revenue impact.
23. Average campaign RPR is $0.11; abandoned cart flow RPR is $3.65
The revenue contrast is stark: standard campaigns generate $0.11 per recipient while abandoned cart flows deliver $3.65. This 33x differential emphasizes why high-intent automated emails require Primary inbox placement.
Personalization Statistics: Connecting with Your B2C Audience
24. 71% of consumers expect personalized interactions
Consumer expectations have shifted permanently, with 71% now expecting personalized brand interactions. Meeting these expectations starts with ensuring personalized emails reach the Primary inbox.
25. 80% are more likely to buy from brands using personalization
Epsilon research shows 80% of consumers prefer purchasing from brands that deliver personalized experiences. This preference translates directly to revenue when emails land where customers see them.
26. Personalized subject lines may increase open rates
While some sources claim personalized subject lines can increase open rates by up to 50%, recent benchmark data from GetResponse suggests non-personalized subject lines currently have a higher average open rate (41.87% vs 35.78%). The effectiveness of subject line personalization may vary by industry and audience segment.
27. Personalized emails achieve 29% open rates
Emails with personalization elements achieve 29% open rates—significantly above industry averages. This baseline performance improves further with optimized inbox placement.
Email Marketing Automation Statistics: Efficiency and Engagement
28. Automated emails generate 320% more revenue
Campaign Monitor data confirms automated emails deliver 320% more revenue than non-automated messages. This revenue multiplication makes automation essential—and inbox placement critical for maximizing automated flow performance.
29. 87% of B2C marketers use automation
Automation adoption has reached 87% among B2C marketers, reflecting its proven revenue impact. The remaining competitive advantage lies in ensuring automated emails reach the Primary inbox.
30. 60% of shoppers complete purchases after personalized cart emails
Personalized abandoned cart emails bring 60% of shoppers back to complete purchases. This recovery rate depends entirely on cart emails reaching the Primary inbox where customers notice them.
Mobile Email Statistics: Optimizing for On-the-Go Consumers
31. 42.3% of users delete emails not optimized for mobile
Nearly half of email users immediately delete messages that don't display properly on mobile devices. Mobile optimization is now table stakes for email performance.
32. 81% of Gen Z check email daily
Younger consumers maintain strong email engagement, with 81% of Gen Z checking email at least once daily. Reaching this demographic requires both mobile optimization and Primary inbox placement.
33. 39% check email 3-5 times daily
More than a third of users check email 3-5 times per day, creating multiple engagement opportunities. Primary inbox placement ensures your emails are visible during these check-ins.
Measuring Success: A/B Testing & Analytics for B2C Emails
34. 72% of B2C marketers use email marketing software
Content Marketing Institute data shows 72% of B2C marketers rely on email marketing software for content distribution. The most effective brands supplement this software with inbox placement optimization.
35. AI personalization drives 41% revenue increases
Brands implementing AI-driven personalization see 41% revenue increases from email marketing. Mailmend uses proprietary AI to analyze promotional threshold factors and generate custom code that ensures emails reach the Primary inbox.
Testing the Impact of Primary Inbox Placement
Mailmend enables brands to conduct A/B testing within Klaviyo, measuring exact performance lift from Primary inbox placement versus Promotions tab placement. This testing capability provides immediate validation and ongoing optimization data—allowing brands to quantify the revenue impact of inbox placement in their own accounts.
Ensuring Automated Emails Land in the Primary Inbox
Mailmend integrates directly with Klaviyo, the dominant email service provider for e-commerce brands. This integration ensures all automated flows—welcome sequences, abandoned cart emails, post-purchase follow-ups—benefit from Primary inbox placement without technical complexity or workflow changes.
The Impact of Primary Inbox Placement on Open Rates
E-commerce brands working with Mailmend consistently report dramatic open rate improvements. Dr. Squatch achieved a 42% increase in open rates and 67% increase in CTR within 24 hours of implementation. StickerYou saw a Day 1 boost of 20% with a 100% increase by month 1, along with 64% open rate and 43% CTR improvements. Ministry of Supply recorded results within a business day, with 27% open rate and 30% CTR gains.
These results demonstrate how inbox placement—not content changes—drives engagement. Contact Mailmend to see how Primary inbox placement can transform your email performance.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the average open rate for B2C emails?
B2C emails average 19.7% open rates, though industry benchmarks show 36.5% is achievable with proper optimization. The difference often comes down to inbox placement—emails reaching the Primary inbox consistently outperform those filtered to Promotions tabs.
How does Gmail's Promotions tab affect email marketing performance?
Gmail's Promotions tab significantly reduces email visibility and engagement. Emails filtered to this tab receive lower open rates, click rates, and revenue attribution than those reaching the Primary inbox. Mailmend's technology moves promotional emails to the Primary inbox without requiring content changes.
Can improving inbox placement significantly increase email revenue?
Yes. Mailmend clients regularly report 50-100% email revenue increases from improved inbox placement alone. Dr. Squatch achieved 112% revenue increase within 24 hours. These results occur without changing email content, subject lines, or send frequency.
What are the most important metrics to track in B2C email marketing?
Focus on open rates, click-through rates, revenue per recipient, and inbox placement rates. Abandoned cart flows generating $3.65 per recipient versus $0.11 for standard campaigns demonstrate why automated flow performance deserves particular attention.
How quickly can I see results from improving email deliverability?
With Mailmend, results appear on Day 1. Implementation takes less than 5 minutes through drag-and-drop Klaviyo integration, and brands can immediately A/B test emails with and without inbox placement optimization to measure exact lift in their own accounts.
