SMS

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…

Consumers are text obsessed, so it should come as no surprise that SMS text messaging is gaining popularity as an effective and efficient marketing medium. According to a recent report, 90 percent of consumers open, read and respond to new text messages within 30 minutes of receiving them. This gives marketers access to target audiences…

Regardless of the circumstance, retailers must meet their customers where they are. With cell phone usage increasing by 56 percent among all consumers since COVID-19 stay-at-home orders have been enforced, retailers must pivot their marketing strategies to meet customers in their new medium of choice: SMS. According to research from BounceX’s COVID-19 retail report, owned…

The past few weeks have been filled with global uncertainty, and the retail industry has been heavily impacted since the national state of emergency was declared on March 13. Despite the recent industry turmoil, Listrak data from the two weeks following the declaration shows that overall e-commerce sales have jumped 31 percent year-over-year, demonstrating a…

In episode 238 of Total Retail Talks, Editor-in-Chief Joe Keenan interviews Gail Buffington, vice president of marketing and analytics at Soft Surroundings, a women's apparel, shoes and accessories retailer. Listen in as Buffington discusses Soft Surrounding's brand history as a cataloger, its expansion into brick-and-mortar retail, and her career at the company. She shares how Soft…

In this episode of Retail Right Now, Total Retail's Joe Keenan and Kristina Stidham discuss how retailers are increasingly using SMS (i.e., text messaging) to communicate with customers, from marketing to customer service, among other uses. Total Retail recently published an article, Untapped and Unfiltered: How to Win 2020 With a Solid SMS Marketing Strategy,…

In episode 232 of Total Retail Talks, Editor-in-Chief Joe Keenan interviews Laurie Simpter, senior manager of customer relations at Pier 1 Imports, an omnichannel retailer of unique, decorative home furnishings, decor and gifts. Listen in as Simpter discusses the challenges many retailers face when handling customer service phone calls, including staffing, especially during peak holiday times.…