I read, therefore I buy? Analyzing the impact of flyer distribution and readership on purchase behaviour

Store flyers are one of the most important media used to feature retail and manufacturer promotions. Yet the body of research on their effectiveness on customer behaviour demonstrates significant gaps. We addressed this by conducting a field experiment with over 9000 members of a retailer’s loyalty programme to identify what drives customers to read flyers and understand how flyer distribution and readership impact upon customer purchase behaviour. The results show that flyer distribution and flyer readership do not seem to change purchase behaviour. However, they confirm that flyer proneness, loyalty to the retailer, subscription to its newsletter, and household size all positively contribute to the likelihood of flyer readership. Our findings thus call upon retailers to significantly revise their flyer distribution strategy and reconsider the role of store flyers within their communication and marketing strategies.