It’s no secret people are turning to smartphones more often as a way to purchase goods. In an eMarketer study, findings revealed 34% of smartphone users had made an online purchase using a mobile phone. The same amount even downloaded an app from a place where they frequently shop to make the purchasing process even easier.

However, it is an emerging trend that consumers want to receive text alerts containing retail marketing information. In February 2012, 31% of consumers polled said they were “at least somewhat interested” in receiving retail text marketing alerts, compared to only 26% in July 2009. Similarly, the number of mobile consumers who answered “extremely interested” climbed from 5% to 10% in the same time frame. This is a promising trend for those in retail marketing who wish to get information about their brands to consumers as quickly as possible. With the immediacy of text marketing, stores can quickly communicate information about flash sales, new products, new shipments and more. Receiving text marketing alerts could incite a feeling of urgency in the consumer and lead to an influx of conversions and purchases for online retailers as well as in-store visits, depending on the terms of the sale and/or messaging.

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Image Source: eMarketer