The State of UK Direct Sales 2026: CM Beyer publishes industry report
CM Beyer Limited has published a new report examining the current state of the UK direct sales industry. The report draws on the Company’s operational experience delivering direct sales programmes, publicly available industry data, and performance benchmarks from engagements across telecommunications, energy, financial services and B2B sectors.
Download the full report (PDF) →
Market size and growth
The UK direct sales industry generated an estimated £3.2 billion in revenue in 2025, employing approximately 560,000 people across field marketing, door-to-door sales, event-based promotion and retail-adjacent programmes. The sector has grown for three consecutive years, driven by rising digital advertising costs, consumer preference for human interaction in high-consideration purchases, and stronger compliance control compared to programmatic digital channels.
Telecommunications remains the largest sector at 28% of total revenue, followed by energy and renewables at 22%, financial services at 16% and charity fundraising at 12%. The fastest-growing segment is energy, up 11.5% year-on-year as the renewable energy installation market expands.
Direct versus digital: the false choice
The report challenges the assumption that digital marketing has replaced direct sales. CM Beyer’s data shows that programmes combining digital lead generation with direct sales conversion achieve a cost per acquisition 23% lower than digital-only programmes and 18% lower than direct-only programmes in the same sectors. Combined programmes also deliver higher customer lifetime value, with retention rates approximately 15% above single-channel acquisition.
The average direct sales conversion rate across all sectors reached 15.1% in 2025, compared to typical digital conversion rates of 2-5% for the same product categories. Cost per acquisition through direct channels fell to £35, while digital-only CPA rose to £44 — reflecting increased competition and rising platform costs in digital advertising.
Compliance improvements
The industry’s compliance record has improved significantly. Complaints per 10,000 contacts fell from 4.1 in 2022 to 2.3 in 2025, reflecting increased investment in training, monitoring and quality assurance. The report details the regulatory framework covering consumer protection, data protection and sector-specific requirements from Ofgem, the FCA and Ofcom.
Operational best practices
The report outlines six core operational principles that CM Beyer applies across all direct sales programmes: data-led territory planning, structured conversation frameworks, daily performance reporting, weekly coaching cycles, embedded compliance oversight, and systematic feedback loops connecting field intelligence to marketing strategy. Programmes applying all six principles achieve 25-35% higher contact rates and measurably better conversion performance than ad hoc approaches.
Download the full report (PDF) →
For enquiries about CM Beyer’s direct sales programmes, contact sales@cmbeyer.co.uk.
