Inventory in any retail store needs to refresh all the time to keep customers always coming back. If nothing is ever new, customers are going to quickly get bored of the selection. Stores have sales racks and clearance to get customers interested in items that didn’t sell at full price. Once an item is in a store for 90 days, the chances of the item selling drops dramatically. There is work involved when it comes to retail’s inventory management and deciding when it is time to systematically mark down items.
Create a Text Campaign for Markdowns
To build customer loyalty, you can use SMS to attract more customers. Set up a text to join campaign to give your customers exclusive access to markdowns. You can share links to items or send out a text message when you have new inventory in your clearance. Customers who opt-in to receive text messages are going to be the first to know when you have items on sale or on clearance. This helps grow your customer base by providing your customers with something valuable simply by signing up to receive text messages from you.
People Use Text Messaging Frequently
Mobile devices are used to send text messages more than emails or to make calls. Text messaging is one of the main activities smart phones are used for, and customers are going to be reached when you send out a text message. When you want to reach your customers fast to try and get rid of old inventory, a text message is the fastest way to reach your target customers. The average adult spends 23 hours a week texting, according to One Reach and more than 90% of text messages are read within three minutes.
SMS Begins the Customer Relationship
SMS is growing, and this means that customers are more comfortable using SMS for a wide range of reasons. Mobile devices are easy to use, respond to a sale, and follow a link to a retail website for more information. A text message begins the customer relationship, and this can be nurtured to develop into a loyal customer.
Perishable Inventory Can Be Sold Quickly
If you are in the grocery business, sell tickets to shows or have other inventory that expires, you can cut your losses by selling your items through SMS at a deep discount. You won’t always be able to get top price for all your inventory and selling a ticket for a big discount is better than having an empty seat at an event. Keep your business profitable by using SMS to sell your perishable inventory and keep your customers interested.
Set Up Location Based Deals
When you want to attract customers to one particular store, you can set up location-based deals that only go out to customers in a specific geographic area. When you run a chain of stores where you are trying to manage the inventory, SMS can make a big difference. If you have specific items in one store that you want to try to sell at a discount, an SMS to only customers in that area will get people interested.
To keep your inventory fresh, use SMS to alert customers when you have new markdowns. SMS can be used to build relationships with customers and let your loyal base know when you have a deal to offer.
