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National Mail Order Association

1998 Mail Order Sales Results

The National Mail Order Association in association with Marketing Logistics Inc. is proud to offer you this invaluable report full of exclusive industry research designed to boost your marketing results.

As reported in the 1998 Guide To Mail Order Sales, published by Marketing Logistics Inc. March 8, 1999

  • U.S. mail order sales in 1998 were $357.3 billion.
  • 1998 mail order sales represented an increase over 1997 of 12%. Adjusting for the inflation rate of 1.5%, the growth rate was 10%.
  • Consumer mail order sales were at $185.0 billion, and accounted for 52% of the total.
  • Business-to-Business mail order was at $104.0 billion, accounting for 29% of the total.
  • Charitable was at $68.2 billion accounting for 19% of the total.
  • Consumer mail order sales were divided between product sales at $109.0 billion and services sales at $76.1 billion.
  • Per capita consumer mail order sales were $685 over a population of 270 million.
  • 1998 was the year of confirmation for the Internet as a significant channel for mail order sales. It is estimated that the Internet accounted for $5.6 billion in consumer mail order sales, $9.5 billion in business/industrial mail order sales. Major product categories for Internet sales were: computer products, Books, recorded music, gifts, financial services, general merchandise, travel services, and industrial electronics.
  • This information is from the just published 1999 Guide To Mail Order Sales, the 18th edition since 1981. The Guide, a 1,200 page, 3 volume review of the worldwide mail order marketplace, is published by Marketing Logistics Inc. and brought to you by the NMOA.

 

TOTAL U.S.: MAIL ORDER SALES AND CONTRIBUTIONS 1998
% of % of
Consumer:

Amount
($ Million)

Consumer

Mail Order Total

Per Capita

GNP

Retail Sales

 *General Merchandise Sales Consumer Services

Products
Specialty
General Merch.

Services
Non-Financial
Financial
      TOTAL

$108,910
90,810
18,100

76,080
39,840
36,240
184,990

59
49
10

41
22
20
100

30
25
5

21
11
10
52

$403
336
67

282
148
134
685

1.2
1.0
0.2

0.8
0.4
0.4
2.1

4.0
3.3
0.6

____
____
____

** 11.5
**  9.6
1.9

____
____
____
____

____
____
____

2.2
1.1
1.0
____
Business:
Products &
  Services

104,020

____

29

____

 ___

____

____

____
Charitable Contributions
    Mail Order Total


68,230
357,240


____
____


19
100


____
____
___
___


____
____


____
____


____
____
U.S. Population

270

____

____

____

 ___

____

____

____
Gross National Product

8,509,000

____

____

____

 ___

____

____

____
Total Aggregate Sales

17,590,000

____

____

____

 ___

____

____

____
Retail Sales

2,696,000

____

____

____

 ___

____

____

____
*General Merchandising and Specialty Sales

923,800

____

____

____

 ___

____

____

____
Consumer Services

3,421,000

____

____

____

 ___

____

____

____

* General merchandising, apparel, drug, liquor, building materials, hardware, garden supply, mobile home, furniture, home furnishings and equipment
** Excludes mail order food (food not part of denominator)

Please address questions or comments concerning the NMOA to:
schulte@nmoa.org

National Mail Order Association, LLC
2807 Polk St. NE Minneapolis MN 55418-2954 USA
Tel: 612-788-1673    Fax: 612-788-1147

Product Marketing/Development: 612-788-4197
Office Hours: Monday-Friday, 9:00am to 5:00pm Central Time

This page was updated on March 27, 1999
Copyright© 1999 National Mail Order Association, LLC