38 Newsletter Engagement Statistics Every E-commerce Brand Needs to Know in 2025

Data-driven insights revealing how inbox placement, automation, and strategic timing impact email revenue for DTC brands

Email remains the highest-ROI channel for e-commerce brands, yet most marketing emails never reach subscribers' primary inboxes. With a projected 4.6 billion email users worldwide in 2025 and daily email volume of 376 billion, standing out requires more than great copy—it demands optimal inbox placement. Mailmend's proprietary technology helps e-commerce brands move campaigns from Gmail's Promotions tab to the Primary inbox, where engagement rates surge and revenue follows.

Key Takeaways

• Email ROI remains unmatched — Brands generate $36-$40 per dollar spent on email marketing, with some merchants seeing $68 returns per dollar

• Average open rates reached 43.46% — The industry average in 2025, with e-commerce brands at 32.67%

• Automation drove 37% of email revenue in 2024 — 2% of emails generated over a third of sales

• Inbox placement is the hidden multiplier — Brands using Mailmend report 50-112% revenue increases within 24 hours of implementation

• Newsletter growth exploded 96.2% in 2024 — The newsletter economy nearly doubled year-over-year

• Timing matters significantly — 21.2% of opens occur within the first hour of sending

Understanding Key Newsletter Engagement Metrics

1. Average email open rate reaches 43.46% in 2025

The industry average for email open rates hit 43.46% based on analysis of 3.6 million campaigns. This benchmark represents a healthy baseline, though actual results vary dramatically based on inbox placement. Emails landing in Primary inboxes consistently outperform those filtered to Promotions tabs.

2. Click-through rates average 2.09% across all industries

Email campaigns generate a 2.09% click rate, translating billions of opens into meaningful site traffic. This metric directly impacts revenue attribution and proves essential for measuring campaign effectiveness beyond vanity metrics.

3. Click-to-open rate stands at 6.81%

The 6.81% click-to-open rate reveals how effectively email content converts openers into clickers. This ratio helps brands isolate content performance from deliverability issues—a critical distinction when diagnosing underperforming campaigns.

4. Email marketing generates $36-$40 for every dollar spent

No marketing channel matches email's 3,600-4,000% ROI. This extraordinary return makes email the cornerstone of retention marketing for DTC brands. Yet most e-commerce companies leave significant revenue unrealized due to poor inbox placement.

5. US merchants average $68 ROI per dollar spent

Omnisend's data shows American merchants achieve even higher returns, averaging $68 for each dollar invested in email marketing. This premium ROI reflects the mature email infrastructure and sophisticated automation strategies prevalent in the US market.

The Impact of Inbox Placement on Engagement Statistics

6. E-commerce open rates lag at 32.67%

While the overall average exceeds 43%, e-commerce brands achieve only 32.67% open rates. This 10+ percentage point gap largely stems from Gmail's algorithmic filtering of promotional content away from Primary inboxes. The difference between Primary and Promotions placement often determines campaign success or failure.

7. E-commerce click rates bottom out at 1.07%

The e-commerce sector's click rate of 1.07% represents nearly half the industry average. This underperformance costs brands millions in unrealized revenue annually. Improving inbox placement offers the fastest path to closing this gap.

8. 93% of people check email every day

Email remains embedded in daily routines, with 93% of users checking their inbox daily and 42% checking 3-5 times. This frequency creates abundant engagement opportunities—but only for emails that reach the Primary inbox where attention naturally flows.

9. 60% of consumers prefer email contact from brands

When asked about communication preferences, 60% of consumers choose email over other channels. This preference makes inbox placement optimization even more critical—subscribers want your emails, but Gmail's algorithms often prevent delivery to their Primary view.

10. 50% purchased directly from an email last year

Half of all consumers made purchases directly attributed to email marketing in the past year. This statistic underscores email's unique ability to drive immediate revenue when messages reach engaged subscribers.

Benchmarking Newsletter Engagement for E-commerce

11. Newsletter open rates average 37.67%

Analysis of 15.6 billion emails reveals newsletter-specific open rates of 37.67%. Regular newsletter sends slightly outperform automated emails at 37.74% versus 35.12%, suggesting subscribers actively anticipate recurring content.

12. Newsletter creation grew 96.2% year-over-year

The newsletter economy nearly doubled, growing from 26,911 to 52,809 newsletters between 2023 and 2024. This explosion reflects brands recognizing email's ownership advantage over algorithm-dependent social platforms.

13. Daily newsletter sends increased 223%

Brands shifted toward higher frequency, with daily newsletters increasing from 4.9% to 15.82% of all sends. This trend demands reliable inbox placement—frequent senders landing in Promotions quickly train subscribers to ignore their messages.

14. Weekly newsletter frequency reached 65.62%

The majority of newsletters now send at least weekly, nearly doubling from 37.9% in 2023. This increased sending velocity makes deliverability infrastructure essential for maintaining engagement.

15. Non-profit open rates lead at 52.38%

For context, non-profits achieve 52.38% open rates—20 percentage points higher than e-commerce. The gap exists because non-profit emails rarely trigger promotional filters. E-commerce brands need technical solutions to achieve similar placement.

Mailmend's Approach to Boosting Newsletter Engagement

16. 41% of marketers rank email as most effective channel

Email claims the top effectiveness ranking among marketing professionals, beating social media, paid advertising, and content marketing. Yet effectiveness depends entirely on reaching subscribers—a challenge Mailmend's inbox placement technology directly addresses.

17. 77.5% of executives use AI to personalize marketing emails

Business leaders increasingly leverage AI for personalization, recognizing technology's role in driving engagement. Mailmend extends this AI advantage to inbox placement, using proprietary algorithms to analyze promotional thresholds and generate custom code that moves emails to Primary.

18. 82% of marketers use automation for triggered emails

The vast majority of email marketers deploy automation for triggered sequences. Combining automation with optimized inbox placement creates compound improvements—triggered emails already outperform campaigns, and Primary inbox delivery amplifies the advantage further.

19. Click-to-conversion rates grew 27.6% in 2024

Email's conversion efficiency improved dramatically last year, with click-to-conversion rates jumping 27.6%. Brands achieving Primary inbox placement capture disproportionate shares of this improvement since their emails receive immediate visibility.

Case Studies: Real-World Impact on Engagement Statistics

Mailmend's case studies demonstrate how inbox placement optimization transforms email performance for leading e-commerce brands.

20. Dr. Squatch achieved 112% email revenue increase

The personal care brand saw revenue more than double within 24 hours of implementing Mailmend, alongside a 42% open rate improvement and 67% click-through rate increase. These results appeared on Day 1 without any changes to email content or strategy.

21. StickerYou recorded 20% open rate increase scaling to 100%

Initial results showed a 20% open rate lift and 43% CTR increase. By month one, improvements grew to 100% above baseline—demonstrating how consistent Primary inbox placement compounds engagement over time. StickerYou experienced a 64% increase in open rates overall.

22. Ministry of Supply saw results within one business day

The apparel brand experienced a 27% open rate increase and 30% CTR improvement within their first business day using Mailmend. Fast results eliminate lengthy testing periods common with traditional deliverability approaches.

23. Larsson & Jennings saved their Black Friday

After data failures caused deliverability problems, this watch brand implemented Mailmend and achieved 82% open rate and 51% CTR increases. The solution "saved their Black Friday" by restoring Primary inbox placement during the critical shopping period.

24. Clevr Blends hit 21% open rate and 63% CTR improvements

The beverage brand recorded substantial engagement gains across both key metrics, translating directly to increased revenue from their existing subscriber base without expanding their list.

25. Amberjack achieved 51% CTR increase

The footwear brand saw a 54% open rate improvement paired with 51% higher click-through rates. These gains demonstrate Mailmend's impact across diverse e-commerce categories.

Measuring Newsletter Engagement Lift with A/B Testing

26. 21.2% of all opens occur in the first hour

GetResponse data shows one-fifth of opens happen within 60 minutes of sending. Primary inbox placement captures this initial attention window; Promotions tab emails often miss it entirely.

27. 44.14% of clicks happen in the first hour

Click behavior concentrates even more heavily in the first hour, with 44% of all clicks occurring immediately. Mailmend enables brands to A/B test inbox placement through Klaviyo's native testing tools, measuring exact revenue attribution to Primary versus Promotions delivery.

28. 1-2 newsletters weekly achieves optimal engagement

Research indicates sending 1-2 times weekly produces 48.31% open rates and 5.71% click rates—significantly above averages. Brands can validate optimal frequency through split testing with and without Mailmend code applied.

29. 11 AM UTC produces highest open rates at 42.87%

Time-of-day analysis reveals 11 AM UTC as the peak engagement window. Testing this timing alongside inbox placement optimization isolates each variable's contribution to performance gains.

Optimizing Engagement for Seasonal Campaigns and Product Launches

30. Automated emails generate 320% more revenue than non-automated

Campaign Monitor research shows automation multiplies revenue by 3.2x compared to manual sends. During high-stakes periods like Black Friday, combining automation with guaranteed Primary inbox delivery maximizes revenue capture.

31. Automated emails drive 37% of sales from 2% of volume

Just 2% of volume generates 37% of all email-attributed sales through automation. Ensuring these high-value automated sequences reach Primary inboxes creates outsized revenue impact.

32. Welcome emails achieve 83.63% open rates

The highest-performing automated email type reaches 83.63% opens with 16.6% click-through rates. Welcome sequences set subscriber expectations—Primary inbox delivery from the first touchpoint establishes engagement patterns.

33. Abandoned cart emails reach 50.50% open rates

Cart recovery emails generate $3.45 revenue per recipient with 50.50% open rates. These time-sensitive messages lose effectiveness when delayed by Promotions tab filtering.

34. Back-in-stock emails hit 59.19% open rates and 5.34% conversion

High-intent back-in-stock notifications represent significant revenue opportunities. Primary inbox placement ensures subscribers see inventory alerts before products sell out again.

Mailmend's 'Zero Changes' Approach to Enhancing Engagement

35. Personalized subject lines increase opens 10-14%

Subject line personalization delivers measurable improvements. Mailmend's approach preserves existing personalization strategies while adding inbox placement optimization—no content modifications required.

36. 90% of marketers say segmentation increases performance

The vast majority of email marketers confirm segmentation's impact. Mailmend works alongside existing segmentation by optimizing placement across all segments without requiring strategy changes.

37. 65% report segmented emails have better open rates

HubSpot research shows 65% of marketers see improved opens from segmentation. Combining segmented content with Primary inbox delivery compounds these benefits.

38. Unsubscribe rates doubled to 0.22% due to Gmail changes

Gmail's 2024 updates caused unsubscribe rates to double. Maintaining subscriber relationships requires adapting to platform changes—exactly what Mailmend's technology accomplishes through continuous algorithm analysis.

Selecting an Email Deliverability Partner for Engagement Growth

The statistics above reveal a clear pattern: inbox placement determines email marketing success more than content, design, or even segmentation strategy. Brands achieving Primary inbox delivery consistently outperform competitors regardless of other optimizations.

Key factors when evaluating solutions include:

• Implementation speed — Mailmend delivers results on Day 1 versus months of gradual improvement from traditional approaches

• Content preservation — Effective solutions work without requiring copy, design, or strategy changes

• Measurable testing — A/B testing capability proves exact performance lift from placement improvements

• Platform integration — Native Klaviyo integration eliminates technical complexity

• Revenue alignment — Partnership models with satisfaction guarantees ensure shared incentives

For e-commerce brands ready to capture the full revenue potential of their email programs, exploring Mailmend's partnerships or reaching out through the contact page provides the fastest path to improved engagement statistics.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is considered a good open rate for e-commerce newsletters?

The industry average sits at 43.46%, but e-commerce brands typically achieve 32.67% due to promotional content filtering. Brands using inbox placement optimization regularly exceed 40% open rates. Mailmend clients like Dr. Squatch and Larsson & Jennings report 42-82% improvements above their baselines.

How does inbox placement affect my newsletter engagement statistics?

Gmail's algorithms filter most promotional emails to the Promotions tab, where visibility and engagement drop significantly. Emails in the Primary inbox receive 21.2% of opens within the first hour, while Promotions tab emails often sit unread for days. The difference between Primary and Promotions placement typically represents 20-50% engagement variance.

Can improving email deliverability significantly increase my sales?

Yes. Email generates $36-$40 per dollar, and improved inbox placement amplifies this return. Mailmend clients consistently report 50-112% revenue increases from the same email campaigns simply by moving from Promotions to Primary inbox delivery.

Does Mailmend require me to change my email content or strategy?

No. Mailmend's approach requires zero changes to existing email marketing workflows, content strategy, or copywriting. The technology works through custom code that integrates directly with Klaviyo, preserving all current personalization, segmentation, and creative strategies while optimizing placement.

How quickly can I expect to see improvements in my newsletter engagement with Mailmend?

Results typically appear on Day 1 of implementation. Ministry of Supply saw improvements within one business day, and Dr. Squatch achieved 112% revenue increases within 24 hours. Setup takes less than 5 minutes through drag-and-drop Klaviyo integration.