E-flyers aren't ready to take over yet, says research

Many grocers are adding e-flyers to their marketing arsenal, assuming that in a digital world more people are reading the weekly flyer online.

That may be true. But new research suggests that the good ol' print flyer is still king and that e-flyers work best when done in conjunction with a print flyer strategy.

Only six per cent of Canadians use e-flyers exclusively, according to research from KubasPrimedia. But 56 per cent use both print and e-flyers, while 23% use print flyers exclusively.

Kubas’s findings, published in the Toronto-based retail research company's annual Major Market Retail Report, found different levels of engagement for print flyers and e-flyers.

Over 60% of those who use print flyers do so often. That compares to 35% of e-flyer users. “In other words, print flyers appear to be the mainstay, while e-flyer usage is relatively more occasional,” Kubas reported.

E-flyers provide a relatively small lift to flyer readership–just 7.5% on top of print flyer usage.

In its conclusion, Kubas says that e-flyers remain a complement to print flyers. E-flyers “are not nearly ready to take over. The e-version gets a little extra mileage out of the print program, but it’s still the print flyer that’s the engine.”