Short answer: Yes, if you're a local service business, your average job is worth £100 or more, and you're prepared to drop more than once. No, if you're doing one drop, on thin paper, with no offer, and hoping the phone rings. The maths below shows where the line is.
What the industry data says
JICMAIL is the joint industry body that measures UK mail. Its figures across 2021 to 2024 put the average door drop response rate at 0.5%, with 74% of door drops read or looked at and 13.9% prompting at least one commercial action (a website visit, a search, a purchase, a conversation in the house). The DMA and JICMAIL Door Drop Report 2025 also recorded a 41% year-on-year rise in door drop return on investment, at £2.90 back for every £1 spent.
So the honest picture is: most leaflets get looked at, a decent minority prompt someone to do something, and about one in 200 turns into a direct response. The channel isn't dead. It's just not a miracle.
The worked example
Take a Carlisle plumber. Average job £150. Solo leaflet drop to 5,000 homes at our own real cost of £700 (£200 print, £500 delivery).
| Pessimistic (0.2%) | Industry average (0.5%) | Good (1%) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Responses from 5,000 | 10 | 25 | 50 |
| Jobs won at 50% conversion | 5 | 12 | 25 |
| Revenue at £150 a job | £750 | £1,800 | £3,750 |
| Return on £700 | £50 | £1,100 | £3,050 |
At the pessimistic end you've broken even and gained five customers who may come back. At the average you've more than doubled your money. The risk is real but it isn't reckless, provided the leaflet is decent and the area is right.
Now the same example on a shared card at £299.99 for the same 5,000 homes:
| Pessimistic (0.2%) | Average (0.5%) | Good (1%) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Revenue | £750 | £1,800 | £3,750 |
| Return on £299.99 | £450 | £1,500 | £3,450 |
Same responses, lower stake. The pessimistic case goes from "broke even" to "made £450". That's the whole argument for sharing the card.
When it's not worth it
Be straight with yourself on these:
- Low-value jobs. If your average sale is £20, you need a 3% response just to cover a £700 drop. You won't get it.
- One-off drops. The first leaflet builds recognition. The second and third get the calls. Budget for at least three or the first one is mostly wasted.
- No offer, no reason to keep it. "Plumber. Call now." goes in the bin. "Boiler service £65, mention this card" gets stuck to the fridge.
- Cheap paper. A 130gsm A5 flyer feels like junk because it is junk. Heavier stock gets kept longer.
- Wrong area. Dropping a conservatory ad through flats is £700 down the drain.
- No way to measure. If you don't know which jobs came from the drop, you can't decide whether to do it again. Use a unique phone number, a QR code, or a "mention the card" offer.
Why response rates are lower than they used to be
Two things changed. Digital gave people other ways to find a plumber, and the volume of junk on the mat went up. What hasn't changed is that a printed thing in the house is physical, it lasts, and it reaches the people who don't scroll Facebook for tradesmen. That's most homeowners over 50, which is most of the people who own a boiler.
JICMAIL's own data says 9.7% of mail prompted a website visit in Q4 2025, the highest reading in five years. Print is driving digital, not competing with it.
The Carlisle option
If you want the doors without the £700 stake, The Cumbrian Card is a shared 300gsm card to Carlisle households across CA1 to CA4. One business per trade, so you're not next to a competitor. Design included. A QR code on your slot so you can see the scans.
- 2,500 homes: £179.99
- 5,000 homes: £299.99
- Premium spot (front, back or centre): £449.99
That's 6p a home against 14p for a solo drop. See the full cost comparison or check what's available on the next card.
FAQ
Do leaflet drops still work?
Yes. UK industry figures put the average response at about 0.5%, with roughly three quarters of door drops read. Results depend heavily on the offer, the area and repetition.
How many leaflets do I need to drop to get a customer?
At a 0.5% response rate, about 200 leaflets per response. With a 50% conversion from enquiry to job, about 400 leaflets per paying customer.
Is it better to do a big drop once or a small drop repeatedly?
Repeatedly. Three drops of 2,000 to the same area will outperform one drop of 6,000 to three different areas, because recognition builds.
What's the cheapest way to leaflet drop?
Sharing the print and delivery cost with other non-competing businesses on one card. It roughly halves the cost per home and takes the print and design off you.
Response rate figures from the JICMAIL Response Rate Tracker and DMA/JICMAIL Door Drop Report 2025. Costs are our own real figures from September 2026.