Game plan needed
Fanatics is an American online retailer of licensed sportswear, sports equipment, and merchandise, working with some of the largest and most well-known sports brands across the US and Europe. They were keen to understand how direct mail could be used to recover abandoned baskets at checkout, particularly as their key demographic of 18-24 year-olds represented a significant opportunity. Given that postal marketing isn’t as saturated as digital channels for this age group, there was a strong chance this would be the first time they received something relevant and personalised at home via the post-box.
Targeted tactics
Paperplanes partnered with Fanatics to launch abandoned basket direct mail, providing customers with a compelling reason to return and complete their purchase 3 days after abandoning. What started as a pure basket follow-up quickly evolved into strategies to incentivise second purchases and grow basket spend from customers. The campaign was carefully designed to appeal to the 18-24 demographic whilst maintaining Fanatics’ sports-focused brand identity and creating urgency around popular merchandise that often sells out quickly.
Trophy-winning results
The campaign delivered strong conversion rates with compelling ROAS, achieving 12% basket recovery from the total abandoned mailed universe. Only 50% of converters redeemed the 10% incentive, leaving room for strategy refinement and removing the need for offers. Average order value reached as high as £257 for some baskets, demonstrating the campaign’s effectiveness with high-value purchases. Digital retargeting usually recovers baskets within 12-48 hours, the optimal conversion time was 12 days, proving that direct mail extends the typical sales cycle and provides additional recovery opportunities beyond digital strategies.
