After months of temporary store shutdowns, nonessential retailers are now actively planning for store re-openings. Some brands are preparing for shoppers to step foot in-store, while others are continuing to leverage curbside pickup to fulfill customer orders, a trend that’s been achieving high customer buy-in.
While this drive-up option is convenient for consumers, brands struggle to manage volume at peak times. But with heightened demand for this shopping trend even before the onset of the pandemic, it’s clear curbside pickup is here to stay.
Paving the Way for Seamless Communication
More and more retailers are seeing the true value of curbside pickup based on the climate of today’s market, yet many brands are still having trouble growing their offering to fit customer demand. As a result, shoppers find themselves encountering long wait times while brands experience messy customer service bottlenecks and difficulty identifying customers store-side.
So how can your brand pave the way for seamless communication?
Consumers are more receptive than ever to receiving communications and order updates through non-traditional marketing channels, especially SMS. And with the need for a scalable strategy and interpersonal forum, text messaging is a viable and reliable option.
SMS powers brands with the ability to seamlessly and instantly connect on a 1:1 basis with their customers. Brands looking to optimize their communications strategy can leverage SMS to trigger timely, personalized order updates right to a customer’s mobile device.
Additionally, experts have seen a 60% increase in consumer engagement with text messaging within the past year. This means shoppers are more likely to interact with online order notifications via SMS and be in-the-know about your brand’s store-side pickup program, making text messaging the clear winner for retailers looking to improve their curbside communication strategy.
Streamlining the Curbside Pickup Experience
Despite the abrupt shift to online ordering, curbside pickup has provided brands the opportunity to continue driving store sales, boost customer loyalty, and most importantly, interact with shoppers safely. Brands who continue adapting and improving their contactless offerings will set themselves at the forefront of customers’ minds when things get back up and running at full capacity.
Retailers looking for a scalable solution should consider Vibes for Contactless Curbside Messaging to:
- Streamline curbside pickups and order fulfillments
- Identify customer arrivals based on their unique description
- Securely serve store-side customers without building complex integrations
- Turn stores into a high-functioning distribution center
Curbside pickup is critical to business continuity. Using mobile messaging, brands can continue converting mobile shoppers and enhancing their online order pickup experience.
Returning to Retail
We are all hopeful for the days when we can step foot in-store without having to worry about PPE or social distancing policies. Our new reality, however, focuses on prioritizing contactless experiences, making it crucial for marketers to ensure customers will continue experiencing the best of their brand without stepping foot inside their store.
A strong place for brands to start is by developing a safe, well-structured, and immediate communication strategy. By utilizing SMS, the return to retail, whether in-store or store side, will not only ease safety concerns and increase convenience but also make for a more enjoyable brand experience.
Interested in exploring more ways Vibes Contactless Curbside Messaging can help your brand? Schedule a demo with us today.
