SMS

In episode 178 of Total Retail Talks, Chris Brigham, director of omnichannel, and Michael Wheeler, omnichannel sales analyst, both of City Gear, discuss the urban footwear and apparel retailer's use of its mobile app to generate customer loyalty. In addition, Brigham and Wheeler share how City Gear's use of mobile push notifications has helped to drive…

Many retailers aren’t deploying end-to-end omnichannel strategies that will achieve a successful customer experience.

Walmart is rolling out a new service, through its Store No. 8 incubator, where shoppers can order items via text message. Known as Jetblack, the platform has quietly been in beta mode in the New York area. It will now be opened up to more applicants in New York who wish to become members, before expanding…

In this special edition of Total Retail Talks, David Cost, vice president of e-commerce and digital marketing at Rainbow Shops, shares how the women's apparel retailer has used SMS to grow its audience and generate customer loyalty. Cost was a speaker on Total Retail's recent webinar, The Roles of SMS and Email in an Omnichannel…

Learn how SMS and email marketing can not only help retailers reach new audiences, but also convert sales online and offline.

Last year marked significant change for the retail industry. We witnessed age-old retailers going bankrupt and names like Alexa surge in popularity. Amidst the turmoil, disruptors like Wal-Mart and Amazon.com dominated investment in emerging technologies, like voice-based ordering and robotics, and completed strategic acquisitions to expand into new markets. In 2018, we expect to see faster change and greater disruption.…

Many people are afraid of change, and the same is true of many companies. After all, staying consistent is a key component of creating a successful brand image, and as the old saying goes, "don’t fix what’s not broken." Unfortunately from this perspective, the same doesn’t hold true of technological disruption. In fact, it’s quite…

Back in April, Facebook announced that retailers would now be able to use its Messenger app to sell directly to consumers in a chat window. Some of the first brands that jumped on this opportunity included 1-800-Flowers.com and Spring. Now, more brands are using artificial intelligence (AI) as a selling and communication platform. AI (e.g.,…

Summer can be rough for retailers. The warm weather beckons us outside, far from any storefront. We don’t quit shopping entirely, however. For retailers with a smart summer strategy, there’s money to be made. If your sales have been less sunny from Mother’s Day through Labor Day, try these tips based on a recent survey…

At a time when many retailers remain unsure about how to leverage smartphones for other aspects of their business, text messaging continues to evolve with new uses and opportunities being deployed in-store and beyond. Sure, other mobile apps and device uses have received a lot of attention, but there are several reasons why text messaging…