SMS

Text messages have replaced emails as the preferred way consumers communicate with brands. In fact, 85 percent of consumers would rather receive a text message from a brand rather than an email or phone call. However, just because consumers prefer SMS doesn’t mean brands should overuse the channel. Email serves as a cautionary tale in…

In this episode of Retail Right Now, Total Retail's Melissa Campanelli and Kristina Stidham discuss the latest trends impacting retail customer communication methods, drawing on key insights from a recent survey conducted by NAPCO Research, sponsored by Podium. The subsequent report, "A Message for Retailers: Go Digital," details what retailers should be considering as they…

COVID-19 has forced us into a new mobile and contactless world, with a recent report finding that 56 percent of respondents use their mobile devices more than before the pandemic, and 38 percent of respondents are getting more news and alerts via text. Additionally, 96 percent of consumers say phone calls can be disruptive, and 39 percent of consumers have over…

Retailer-customer relationships are formed on the basis of communication. For retailers, effectively communicating with customers — on their terms — is integral to building relationships with them. That communication encompasses all touchpoints in the customer journey, from browsing/pre-purchase to post-purchase support, and occurs across multiple channels. Therefore, what should retailers be considering as they evaluate…

Like everything else last year, retail brands were forced to learn to live with a new reality. Since the beginning of the pandemic, as consumers adapted to quarantines, social distancing and masks, they also adapted how they interact with brands. More than ever before, they took to conversational artificial intelligence (AI) — the technology that…

The holidays are here and e-commerce marketers are mapping out how to cope with the increased demand and competition this year will bring. To compound the seasonal rush, e-commerce continues to accelerate, and businesses are trying to plan ahead to jump-start their 2021 e-commerce sales. As they do, retailers are looking toward omnichannel strategies for…

As the sun starts to rise, crowds gather outside shops, and more people arrive as opening time draws near. The store clerk makes her way to the front door to let everyone in, and the chaos begins. Without a care in the world, shoppers push through the narrow opening, shopping carts in hand, as they…

The holiday season will make or break revenue goals for almost every retailer this year. Thankfully, most states resumed in-person shopping in some capacity, but a lot of uncertainty remains about how the retail industry will fare. In this period of uncertainty, there's one constant: this upcoming holiday season will be critical for retailers negatively…

The introduction of 10.10 Day, the U.S. answer to China’s Singles’ Day, is one way that brands are showing they're ready to put everything into making the 2020 holiday season a success. With a fifth of retailers saying they're dependent on the holiday season to survive this year, it’s understandable that retailers want to make…

Retailers have used SMS marketing for several years, but the promotional method is always evolving. SMS marketing is another term for text message marketing. When applied to the retail sector, the possibilities are virtually endless. People are accustomed to both receiving and sending texts, so using them to engage with retail brands should come naturally to…