As the post-recession recovery continues, Georgia-based AccurateLeads direct marketing firm is partially attributing the direct mail surge to the ability of mail to couple with various digital channels, creating multichannel initiatives that can efficiently saturate markets. According to new studies, consumers received 5 billion pieces of direct mail in 2011, compared to 3.6 billion in 2010. The Direct Marketing Association says expenditures for direct mail grew to more than $50 billion in 2011, translating to a 4.6-percent industry increase. The DMA also forecasts that mail sales will continue to rise at a rate of 2.4 percent over the next two years.