Q3 2026 RRD Consumer Research: Tax Refunds, Trusted Print, Shopper Behavior

11/6/2026

This is a quarterly look into RRD’s Awareness-to-Action (A2A) Study, a proprietary consumer survey fielded in partnership with Prosper Insights & Analytics. Since 2020, we’ve leveraged a national sample of over 54,000 respondents to track how shifting trends and media channels influence shopping behaviors and cost-saving strategies. The study gives retail, grocery, and CPG leaders the insights they need to optimize their media mix. These findings help them turn consumer sentiment into direct brand action.

This readout is based on the September 2026 A2A Consumer Study of U.S. households. The research highlights a significant reliance on tax refund capital for major home and retail investments. In addition, it pinpoints a sustained trust in direct mail — particularly as an essential anchor in omnichannel shopping journeys.

Study highlights and key metrics:

• Tax refund liquidity: 22% of consumers plan to use tax refund capital to fund home improvement projects and major retail purchases in 2027.
• Direct mail retention: 67% of consumers engage with promotional physical mailers (37% retain relevant offers for future use; 31% review mailers when actively in-market for specific purchases).
• Physical vs. digital storage: 54% of shoppers agree that physical direct mail is easier to save and reference later compared to digital advertisements.
• High-trust activation: 59% of respondents report that direct mail increases brand/product awareness, while 57% actively use mailers as a primary tool to save money.
• Omnichannel memory reinforcement: 50% of consumers recall promotional messaging significantly better when exposed to both direct mail and online advertising.

Capitalize on the tax refund

A challenging economy and calculated household budgeting have combined to turn tax refund season into a pivotal spending window for consumers. Tax refunds represent a critical discretionary boost for high-value home investments and upgrades. Cash reserves remain the primary funding source for these expenditures. Tax refunds are another source, cited by 22% of respondents for non-recurring projects.  

Tax refund allocations are heavily concentrated in high-impact cosmetic refreshes, maintenance, and big-ticket household items. Some of the most cited items include: electronics (21%), home decor or accessories (19%), furniture (19%), paint or wallpaper (17%), install/refresh carpet or flooring (14%), and install/maintain landscaping, patio, or deck (13%). 

Consumers aren’t rushing their buying decisions on these high-value purchases. Quite the contrary: For purchases over $250, 57% of consumers research major home services or retail products for four days to several weeks before making a decision. Top factors in their final decision-making include: overall price/total cost (45%), recommendations from people they know (29%), guarantees (29%), and promotions, discounts, or special offers (28%).

Drive omnichannel action with print and mail 

With consumers continuing to be impacted by digital noise and privacy concerns, direct mail has been able to make a distinct impression. In fact, direct mail remains one of the most trusted and effective media for consumer acquisition and retention. 

Consumer interaction with physical mail is deliberate and highly functional. Study respondents indicated direct mail grabs their attention (52%), that they use it to learn about new products (55%), and that it directly helps them decide in which store to shop (48%). Only 11% of consumers throw promotional mailers away immediately without opening them, and 37% save physical ads until they’re ready to make a purchase.

Notably, direct mail can serve as a digital on-ramp, triggering multi-channel research and digital conversion. While 23% bring the physical mailer directly to the store, 22% go directly to the sponsor's website for more information and 16% go online to make a purchase (22% also use the ad to compare against other offers). Further, 15% scan a QR code on direct mail for more information or savings; 44% of shoppers agree that QR codes in a direct mail ad make taking action faster and easier.

5 strategic shifts for marketers

Based on the September 2026 research data, brands should make these five strategic adjustments going forward:

1. Align high-ticket campaigns with tax refund timelines: Schedule major promotional mailers and retail offers for Q1 and early Q2 to capture tax refund liquidity. Focus creative messaging around cash savings, bundled discounts, and free estimates for high-demand projects.
2. Establish direct mail as the primary omnichannel anchor: Leverage physical circulars and postcards to establish consumer trust. Digitally retarget those audiences to maximize ad recall (50% better) and campaign responsiveness.
3. Integrate QR on-ramps: Include high-contrast QR codes with direct value propositions (e.g., "scan for instant $50 off estimate") on all direct mail assets. With 44% of shoppers using QR codes to take faster action, print is the most efficient gateway to digital storefronts.
4. Emphasize pricing transparency, risk-free value: With 45% of consumers prioritizing overall cost and 29% prioritizing guarantees, creative should highlight clear pricing, satisfaction guarantees, and money-saving promotions.
5. Design for retention: Since 54% of consumers prefer direct mail for ease of storage and 36% retain physical mailers until they’re ready to purchase, marketers should create sturdy, multi-offer print pieces (e.g., magnetics, booklets, heavy-cardstock mailers) designed to remain in the home throughout multi-week decision windows.

For more grocery, retail, and CPG insights, check out our 2026 State of Grocery + CPG Report and the 2026 Grocery Perspectives Report.