What leaflet distribution costs and how it is quoted
Leaflet distribution in the UK is quoted per thousand leaflets, or per site per cycle for racked brochures. The price moves with the method, the targeting, the leaflet size and weight, and whether the drop is solus or shared. iDO quotes against the actual catchment rather than a flat rate card.
Sugandan Balaji
How much does leaflet distribution cost in the UK?
Leaflet distribution in the UK is quoted per thousand leaflets for door to door, business to business and hand to hand work, and per site per cycle for brochures racked in venues. No distributor can give a real figure without the catchment, the volume, the leaflet format and the dates, because those four inputs move the rate more than anything else.
Treat a headline rate card with caution. A low per thousand number usually describes a shared residential drop with no targeting, no replenishment and no proof of delivery attached to it. A higher number normally buys solus delivery, a defined audience and a report. iDO (Info Display OOH Ltd) quotes against the specific catchment, and the quote names the method being priced.
Why is leaflet distribution priced per thousand?
A rate per thousand is a unit price that covers the labour, the route and the reporting for one thousand leaflets placed in one defined area. Leaflet distribution is priced that way because the cost sits in the work of placing each item by hand, not in renting media space.
The unit also makes quotes comparable. Two distributors pricing the same 20,000 leaflet round across the same postcode sectors can be read side by side, and the remaining difference is about what each rate includes. Racking is the exception: brochures in attraction, hotel and tourist information racks are priced per site per cycle, because stock has to be checked and topped up through a season rather than delivered once.
What is the difference between solus and shared leaflet distribution?
Solus leaflet distribution means your leaflet is delivered on its own, with nothing else in the drop. Shared leaflet distribution means it travels with two or three other unrelated leaflets on the same round. Solus costs more per thousand because the distributor earns from one client on that walk instead of three.
Pay for solus when the leaflet has to be noticed and acted on quickly, as with a membership offer or a dated performance. Shared distribution is reasonable for broad awareness over a longer period. The Design Museum membership campaign iDO ran was solus door to door in W8 6, supported by an ultra local blanket of Kensington High Street, Earls Court Road and Notting Hill Gate, and it produced a spike in membership applications.
What drives the cost of leaflet distribution up or down?
Six things move a leaflet distribution quote: the method, the targeting, the exclusivity, the format, the timing and the reporting. Each one is a choice you make before you brief, so ask about all six by name when you compare distributors.
| Cost driver | Pushes the price up | Pushes the price down |
|---|---|---|
| Method | Hand to hand, staffed and supervised | Door to door on an established round |
| Targeting | Hand picked postcode sectors or single streets | A whole town or a wide radius |
| Exclusivity | Solus, your leaflet alone | Shared with two or three others |
| Format and weight | A4, folded, above 170gsm | A5 or DL at 130gsm to 170gsm |
| Timing | Fixed dates at short notice | A flexible two or three week window |
| Reporting | GPS tracking and photographed proof | A delivery declaration only |
What should a leaflet distribution quote include?
A leaflet distribution quote should state the method, the exact area, the volume, the delivery window and the proof you will receive. If any of those five is missing, the rate per thousand cannot honestly be compared with anyone else's.
iDO includes tracking and proof as standard. More than £250,000 has been invested in its reporting system, which GPS tracks distribution, photographs display in place and publishes both to a live dashboard with geo located maps. iDO covers 150,000 print points from 60+ distribution centres, the biggest print distribution network in the UK, so the same terms apply to one postcode sector or to the whole country.
- The method, and whether delivery is solus or shared
- The postcode sectors or streets covered, named in full
- The volume and the delivery window, with start and finish dates
- Replenishment cycles for racked and displayed stock
- GPS tracking and photographed proof of display
Frequently asked
- Is leaflet distribution cheaper per thousand at higher volumes?
- Usually yes. Leaflet distribution rates per thousand fall as volume rises, because route planning, briefing and supervision are spread across more leaflets. The saving is largest on door to door rounds and smallest on hand to hand distribution, which is staffed and stays close to a fixed cost per shift.
- Does leaflet size change the distribution cost?
- Yes. Leaflet distribution is priced partly on weight, which sets how many leaflets a team can carry. A5 and DL at 130gsm to 170gsm are the standard UK distribution formats. A4, or anything above 170gsm, raises the rate per thousand and may not fit a standard brochure rack.
- Is printing included in a leaflet distribution quote?
- Not normally. Leaflet distribution is a media service, so the rate per thousand covers placing the leaflets rather than producing them. Ask whether print is quoted separately, and confirm the delivery address and date for finished stock so the distribution window is not pushed back.