Text messaging for retail and e-commerce

Retail is the category the big SMS platforms were built for, and it is also the category where their pricing makes least sense for anyone below a certain size. The per-message rate is usually competitive. The platform fee sitting underneath it is what makes the maths fail for a shop sending twice a month.

We charge for messages and nothing else. If you send nothing in January, January costs nothing.

What converts

Back-in-stock. The highest-intent message in retail. Someone already wanted the thing; you are removing the only obstacle. Holding the item for a stated window makes it convert harder.

Early access. A genuine head start for the list, not a discount everyone else also gets an hour later. If the VIP window is not real, people work it out within two sends.

Sale open and sale closing. Two messages, not seven. The closing one usually outperforms the opening one.

Order and shipping updates. Transactional, expected, and the thing that keeps people from opting out of the marketing messages.

List quality beats list size

A list of 2,000 people who typed their number into a form on your site is worth more than 20,000 imported from anywhere else, and importing purchased lists is both against the rules and a fast route to having your number blocked. The web opt-in widget collects numbers with the consent recorded.

Segmenting

Group by what people bought, when they last ordered, or which collection they signed up from. A blanket send to everyone is the reason most retail SMS lists decay.

Rules worth reading first

Quiet hours, consent records and STOP handling are all enforced, and the last one is automatic. Start with A2P 10DLC approval so your number is registered before your first campaign.