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Email Churn Rate Hold Steady at 31 Percent: Survey
2002-10-15

About 31 percent of all email addresses change every year as users switch ISPs, change jobs or try to avoid spam, according to a new study by Return Path Inc., an email change-of-address service, and Global Name Registry.

Because of that churn, the study concluded, most consumers lose touch with personal and professional contacts and with preferred Web sites and email newsletters.

"In addition to the impact on consumer relationships identified, there is a real and significant subsequent financial impact on reputable businesses that rely on e-mail to communicate with their customers," said Matt Blumberg, Return Path's chief executive officer.

The survey updates the companies' earlier survey, done in September 2002, which found 32 percent of all email addresses changed over a year.

Among the findings:

• Users own an average of 3.1 email addresses, up from 2.6 in 2002.
• Half of the people who said they had changed personal email addresses did it to move to a new ISP. Another 16 percent said they did it to avoid spam, 12 percent moved to a new home and 8 percent wanted a more attractive email address.
• 41 percent of work email addresses changed because of new jobs. Other reasons include changing ISPs, moving or name changes resulting from marriage or divorce.
• More than half said they lost personal and business contacts because of address changes, including valued email newsletters. However, many of those who did not change their addresses cited the hassle of updating contacts and newsletter subscriptions as the main reason they did not change addresses.
• 22 percent of those who changed email addresses did not notify any Web site.

The study will be reported at the Direct Marketing Association's annual Conference & Exhibition on Oct. 21 in San Francisco.

To learn more about Return Path, visit the corporate Web Site.