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The USPS Household Diary Study: Mail Use & Attitudes in FY 2011 -- Periodicals

By NuStats on behalf of the United States Postal Service (USPS)

Consumer Attitudes

 

"Magazines and newspapers arrive in the household mainly because of consumer choice. Consumers value them and they remain a desirable, viable component in the marketing mix."


Date released:  April 2011 (Note: As of June 2013, this is the latest study/data released).

Type of Promotional Material/Activity Tested:  Periodicals (magazines and newspapers) delivered to households by the U.S. Postal Service. The volumes examined here are only a portion of the total periodicals volume, since some periodicals are received by non-households, such as doctors’ offices or other businesses.

Sample Population:  5,200 U.S. households returned acceptable completed diaries (out of 8,021 households recruited to receive a diary package, representing a completion rate of 64.8%). The sample design involved a systematic sample stratified by urban/rural location and census region, ensuring even coverage across the U.S. The sample was continuously fielded throughout all 52 weeks of the year.

Methodology:  The Household Diary Study is a continuously fielded study that uses a two-stage survey design: Stage 1 is an interviewer-mediated household recruitment interview. Stage 2 is a self-completed seven-day household diary of household mail received and sent.

Metrics:  This section of the study examined magazines and newspapers delivered in the mail. Newspapers or magazines delivered by a local carrier or purchased at a newsstand or store are not included.

Top-Line Results:
 

       
2011 Periodicals Received by Income and Age of Household Head
(Pieces per household per week)
Household Income Under 34 35 to 54 Over 55 Average
Under $35K .3 .3 .7 .5
$35K to $65K .4 .6 1.0 .7
$65K to $100K .6 .9 1.3 1.1
Over $100K 1.0 1.3 1.9 1.4
Average .5 .8 1.1 .9
Source: USPS Household Diary Sample, FY 2011

 

 

 


Take-Away:  This study, performed annually since 1987 by the U.S. Postal Service, provides a consistent look at households' attitudes towards mail received. Magazines and newspapers arrive in the household mainly because of consumer choice. Consumers value them and they remain a desirable, viable component in the marketing mix.


Complexity rating of original source: 1  (Complex statistical analysis scale:  1= none, 2= moderate, 3 = difficult)

Source: The Household Diary Study: Mail Use & Attitudes in FY 2011