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Retail SMS That Drives Real Revenue

Connect instantly with customers through personalized SMS for retail that recovers abandoned carts and drives repeat purchases.

Retail SMS that actually converts

Smart SMS for retail industry professionals who want real results, not just more messages.

  • Cart recovery

    «Hey Sarah! You left something in your cart 🛒 Complete your order in the next 2 hours and get 15% off with code SAVE15. Shop now: [link]»

  • Flash sales

    «🔥 VIP ALERT: 50% off all summer dresses starts NOW! Limited quantities. Your exclusive 4-hour window ends at 8PM. Shop: [link]»

  • Loyalty rewards

    «Happy Birthday, Mike! 🎉 Enjoy your special $25 gift card plus double points on today's purchase. Valid until midnight: [link]»

AI Agentic Workflows

Read all about our commitment to security, industry-leading integrations, and how we're building trust and partnerships to support your restaurant communications.

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  • Featured

    FAQ Flow

    Answering FAQs is repetitive and time-consuming, taking away from high-value tasks. At the same time, leaving common questions unanswered can frustrate potential customers and lead to lost revenue. The FAQ AI Agent eliminates this challenge by instantly responding to frequently asked questions, ensuring customers get the information they need without delays.

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  • Featured

    Follow Up

    Follow-ups are key to driving sales. This AI Agent automates the process by sending personalized, timely messages based on conversation history. Simply set a follow-up schedule, define any messaging preferences, and let AI take over.

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  • Featured

    Qualification

    The Qualification AI Agent instantly reaches out to new leads, asks the right qualifying questions, and filters out unqualified prospects. It engages in a conversational way, extracts key details, and seamlessly hands off the right leads to your sales team.

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  • Featured

    Qualification + Follow Up

    This is an AI agent that asks 3 qualifying questions to your top of funnel leads. If they drop off at any point during this qualification sequence, up to 3 follow ups are sent to the lead to engage them and finish the qualification sequence.

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Why retailers choose retail text message marketing

  • Higher conversions

    Higher conversions

    Retail SMS delivers 98% open rates compared to email's 20%, getting your offers seen instantly.

    Retail SMS marketing generates up to 27x ROI because customers read and act on text messages.

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  • Instant connection

    Instant connection

    SMS marketing for retailers reaches customers within 3 minutes, perfect for time-sensitive flash sales and restocks.

    Connect directly with shoppers when they're most engaged and ready to make purchasing decisions.

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  • Smart automation

    Smart automation

    SMS for retailers automates abandoned cart recovery, birthday offers, and restock alerts without manual work.

    Set up campaigns once and watch them recover lost sales while you focus on other priorities.

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  • Personal touch

    Personal touch

    Text message marketing retail campaigns use customer data to send relevant offers based on purchase history.

    Personalized text messages make customers feel special with exclusive deals matched to their shopping preferences.

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  • Easy management

    Easy management

    Mass text messaging becomes simple with templates, scheduling, and automated compliance built right in the platform.

    Send thousands of messages instantly while maintaining personal connections with each customer segment you target.

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  • Customer loyalty

    Customer loyalty

    Loyalty text message campaigns keep your brand top-of-mind with exclusive member perks and early access.

    Build lasting relationships through consistent, valuable communication that rewards your most engaged retail customers consistently.

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  • Jeff Gelwix

    President @ Sonic Drive-in

    Clerk Chat is a beautifully built solution that is flexible, customizable, intuitive, and perfect for collaboration. We love the Clerk Chat platform, but what we love even more is how amazing and caring the team behind it is.

    Read more on Trustpilot
  • Cruz M.

    Professional Independent Marketer

    As a marketing professional, I had trouble communicating with my contractors because we used Slack and Teams, but they weren't always online. I spent months looking for a tool to help me send text messages or WhatsApp messages to them so they could log in to Zoom and Google Meets. Plus, Clerk Chat also allows me text my clients that I have on HubSpot CRM.

    Read more on G2
  • Katrina Bogany

    President of Fab Finishes, Inc.

    Clerk Chat is truly the missing piece of the puzzle with Teams! It makes Teams a complete communications solution, by adding the vitally important SMS texting functionality to the platform. In addition, Clerk Chat’s support is excellent.

    Read more on Trustpilot

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Instant, secure, 1:1 and multiplayer messaging. No APIs, no developers, no fuss.

This ensures that customers receive swift responses, while also preventing any team member from becoming overwhelmed.

#Templates

Retail text message templates

More SMS templates
  • Abandoned Cart Recovery: "Hi [Name]! Your [Product] is waiting in your cart 🛒 Complete your order in the next 2 hours and save 10% with code CART10. Finish shopping: [link]"

  • Flash Sale Alert: "⚡ FLASH SALE: [X]% off everything! VIP access for the next 4 hours only. Limited stock available. Shop now before it's gone: [link]"

  • Back in Stock Notification: "Good news [Name]! The [Product] you wanted is back in stock. We only have a few left - grab yours before they sell out again: [link]"

  • Birthday Offer: "Happy Birthday [Name]! 🎉 Here's your special gift: [X]% off + free shipping on your birthday purchase. Valid today only: [link]"

  • Loyalty Program Reward: "You've earned it! [Name], you just unlocked [X] points worth $[Amount] off your next purchase. Use your reward before it expires: [link]"

  • Order Confirmation & Tracking: "Order confirmed! Your [Product] will arrive on [Date]. Track your package and get real-time updates here: [link]"

  • Ready for Pickup: "Your order is ready for pickup at [Store Location]! Bring this text and your ID. Store hours: [Hours]. Questions? Reply to this message."

  • New Collection Launch: "First look! 👀 Our new [Collection Name] just dropped. Get early access as a VIP customer before everyone else sees it: [link]"

  • Exclusive Member Event: "You're invited! Join us for an exclusive shopping event on [Date] with [X]% off everything + refreshments. RSVP: [link]"

  • Win-Back Campaign: "We miss you [Name]! Come back and save [X]% on your next purchase. Plus free shipping on any order. Welcome back: [link]"

Retail text messaging resources

Explore expert insights and strategies to maximize your retail text messaging success with these comprehensive guides.

  • Understanding Retail SMS

    Retail is one of the most lucrative, and cutthroat industries there is. If you’re not constantly keeping your customers engaged, you’re going to lose them, and fast. That’s why SMS for the retail industry is so valuable.

    Because, let’s face it, your customers aren’t refreshing their email inbox looking for your latest promo. They’re going to miss your updates on social media if the latest algorithms have anything to say about it, and your blog content only does so much.

    But your audience will always be glued to their phones.

    That’s why retail SMS – and virtually all forms of mobile messaging, are crushing it right now. We’re talking about open rates of 98%, response rates that blow other channels out of the water, up to 45% in some cases, and serious conversions.

    But SMS for retail isn’t just about blasting out discount codes. It’s smarter than that. It’s personalized text messages that feel like they were written just for you. It’s real-time order updates and “Hey, your item is back in stock” alerts. It’s a direct line to your customers without the algorithm gatekeeping your reach.

    To pull it off, you need the right setup. Business texting platforms that support automation, list segmentation, 2-way text messaging, and integrations with your favorite tools, like Salesforce integration, or a slick Shopify SMS integration.

  • How Companies Use SMS for Retail

    Curious about what you can actually do with retail SMS? Good, because the possibilities are endless. Trust us, retail text message marketing is just the beginning.

    If you’ve got the right business texting platform, you can experiment with:

    Promotions That Pop

    Flash sale starting in 15 minutes? Send SMS coupons straight to your best customers. New arrival just dropped? Share a product carousel through RCS, or just announce an early-access deal via text in seconds. The possibilities for retail SMS marketing are endless. With bulk SMS, MMS, and RCS, you can hit thousands of people instantly, with gorgeous product shots and enticing discount codes.

    Customer Service That Feels Human

    Nobody wants to email support and wait three days for a canned reply. With 2-way text messaging, your customer can ask, “Is this available in medium?” and get a real human answer in seconds. It’s like walking into your store, but from their couch. Want to level it up? Bring in conversational AI in retail to help answer common questions after hours, like those linked to order tracking, returns, or FAQs.

    Real-Time Order + Delivery Updates

    Go beyond text marketing for retail companies with practical, transactional messages. With a Shopify SMS integration, you can send out automated messages customers actually want to receive: “Your order just shipped!” “Your pickup is ready!” “Your package was delivered!” These little nudges matter more than you think, and they keep the customer loop feeling tight and transparent.

    Notifications That Actually Get Seen

    Whether it’s a “Hey, your fave item is back in stock!” or “We’re doing a one-night-only VIP shopping event,” retail SMS is the best way to get eyes on something right now. Toss in automation and set up behavioral triggers, like texting someone who clicked a product but didn’t buy, and the results skyrocket. You can even a text-to-pay feature so they can checkout straight from a text. That’s the definition of frictionless.

    Internal Communication

    Got sales, customer service, marketing, and product teams working remotely from all corners of the world? Give them a way to stay in touch without relying on email and Slack messages. With group text for business, everyone stays aligned, even when internet connections are patchy. That means collaboration thrives, no matter what.

  • Text Marketing for Retail: Ongoing Engagement

    The great thing about SMS marketing for retailers, is it’s not just there to help you boost initial awareness. If you have the right platform, you can use your retail and ecommerce SMS marketing strategies to connect with customers throughout their journey.

    Once a customer opts-in to receiving your messages (maybe in exchange for promised coupons or early sales access), you can start building your automation and segmentation strategies. Assign customers to groups based on their location, previous purchases, or where they are in the purchasing cycle.

    Start with welcome messages, introducing customers in different locations to your top sellers. Make them feel special with a custom [first name] tag, and a reference to the products they’ve shown interest in before.

    After they buy something, keep in touch with personalized text messages introducing them to new, relevant products or deals. Use bulk SMS to send out loyalty punches: “Buy 5, get the 6th free. We’re keeping track for you.” Then send out a little celebratory message when they hit that milestone.

    Invite your customers to join SMS loyalty programs directly, to earn their ongoing adoration, and actively seek out their opinions and feedback with SMS surveys.

    Don’t forget about the power of SMS for ongoing customer support and success too. Something as simple as an after-hours message: “We saw your message, we’ll get back to you at 9AM tomorrow!”, makes people feel cared for. Not ignored.

    Remember, whether you’re using a mass texting feature, or sliding into someone’s phone with a thoughtful one-on-one texting experience, just remember: the more relevant, timely, and human your texts feel, the more likely people are to engage.

  • The Benefits of SMS Marketing for Retailers

    Today’s retail companies have tons of ways to contact customers, email, social media, phone calls – you name it. So why text?

    Because SMS marketing for retailers works wonders. All you need is an intuitive bulk SMS service for business communication, and you tap into:

    Really Incredible ROI

    We all love a flashy ad campaign or an influencer shoutout, but when it comes to cold, hard ROI, mass texting blows other channels out of the water.

    Some businesses earn around $71 for every $1 they spend on retail SMS. That’s a 7100% return. The results are that good because your message doesn’t get buried in some inbox or ignored in a feed, it gets seen, fast.

    Lower Cart Abandonment

    People add stuff to their cart and suddenly they disappear. It happens all the time. But most shoppers don’t mean to ghost you. They just get distracted.

    A simple cart abandonment reminder, “Hey, did you forget this?” sent at the right time can win back more than half of those almost-sales. That’s a huge recovery rate for such a tiny message.

    With automation, you don’t even have to remember to send it. Your SMS platform just dives in, using your Salesforce integration, or ecommerce platform integration to determine when to send the message.

    Higher Local Foot Traffic

    You know those people who are just a few blocks away, already out shopping, and might stop by if they knew about your deal?

    That’s where geotargeting for local offers shines. You can shoot out a quick flash sale alert to customers near your store: “Pop in within the next two hours for 20% off sandals”, and suddenly you’re on the right person’s radar.

    That’s real-world SMS lead generation in action, just make sure you have customer consent.

    Real Conversations, Not Broadcasts

    People don’t want to be talked at. They want to be heard. That’s where two-way texting comes in. You don’t have to rely on mass texting for everything. You can invite customers to contact your retail customer service team, straight from their mobile phone.

    Even if you don’t have a huge customer service team, you can use AI tools to reply to customers with personalized messages, promotional offers, order updates, and guidance, 24/7. You can even request customer feedback in seconds.

    Improved Customer Experiences

    Let’s be honest: nobody wants another “Hey there!” generic text. But a message that says, “Jamie, those sneakers you loved are back in stock, and 15% off until midnight”? That’s the sort of stuff that drives conversions.

    Personalized messages work. Whether it’s based on order history, browsing behavior, or loyalty tier, they show your customer that you get them. Combine that with promotional offers they care about? You’ve got a recipe for real engagement and higher sales.

  • Key Features and Tools of Retail SMS Platforms

    Every retailer knows: the right tools make all the difference. Whether you’re just getting started with retail SMS or looking to level up your strategy, your platform should do more than send messages. It should empower your business to communicate smarter, scale faster, and personalize at every touchpoint.

    Let’s start with the basics, then get into the advanced features that separate a good SMS platform from a great one.

    Essential Features (The Must-Haves)

    Before you get fancy, your platform should at least offer:

    • Bulk SMS functionality: Quickly send mass texting campaigns for promotions, alerts, and updates.
    • Two-way SMS: Keep your customers in the conversation by allowing them to actually to respond to your messages, via SMS, MMS, or even RCS.
    • List segmentation: Divide your customers into groups based on their interests, location, or anything else that matters to them.
    • Detailed analytics: Make sure you can track opt-out rates, response rates, engagement levels, and conversion rates.
    • Shared inboxes: Make collaboration a breeze with centralized messaging threads your whole team can access.

    Advanced Features (The Exciting Stuff)

    Want to really take your retail SMS strategy to the next level? Go beyond the basics with a platform that offers some really advanced features, like:

    AI Tools for Smarter Conversations

    Think of AI-powered SMS features as your secret weapon. With conversational AI in retail, and even AI agents built into your automation suite, you can:

    • Auto-reply to common questions (“What’s your return policy?”).
    • Handle after-hours support gracefully (“We’ll be back at 9am, but here’s a helpful link!”).
    • Analyze tone and intent to route complex inquiries to a human.
    • Personalize based on past interactions or buying behavior.

    You can even use conversational texting campaigns to gather feedback from customers in an instant, on autopilot.

    Advanced Automation Workflows

    Your customers don’t all need the same messages at the same time. With advanced automation, you can build sequences that:

    • Trigger messages based on cart activity, store visits, or loyalty tier.
    • Send follow-ups to customers who clicked a link but didn’t buy.
    • Combine SMS lead generation with onboarding flows.
    • Auto-escalate issues flagged by a customer in a response thread.

    With integrations, you can even upgrade your text automations, automatically sending messages to customers based on what they do on your ecommerce platform.

    Omnichannel Messaging

    RCS vs SMS. MMS vs WhatsApp? Why not combine everything in a single platform? A solution like Clerk Chat will empower you to access as many channels as you like, so you can transform every marketing, sales, and customer service workflow.

    Want to show off a product line? Share a QR code or menu? Drop a video thank-you from your founder? Done. With retail text message marketing, enhanced by RCS, you can go way beyond 160 characters.

    Collaboration Features

    Retail isn’t a solo sport. That’s why strong collaboration tools matter:

    • Use shared inboxes so your support and sales teams can see the full conversation.
    • Assign roles and permissions to keep things secure and streamlined.
    • Track message history across all agents, no more “Sorry, who did you speak to last time?”

    Make sure you have access control features set up too, so you can actually keep track of who has access to what, that’ll be crucial for SMS compliance.

    Integration with Other Retail Systems

    The best retail SMS platforms play nicely with the rest of your stack. With robust API integrations, you can:

    • Sync with your CRM to trigger campaigns based on behavior, purchases, or segmentation tags.
    • Automate text-to-pay feature messages based on cart data or loyalty milestones.
    • Connect with your ecommerce platform for real-time inventory alerts, order updates, and status changes.
    • Use contact databases and business apps to pull in data from across your ecosystem.

    Bonus points if your platform supports plug-and-play Salesforce integration, or native Shopify SMS integration to reduce manual setup and speed up deployment.

  • Building Subscriber Lists for Retail SMS Marketing

    Read any SMS marketing guide, and you’ll quickly learn one of the toughest parts of successful advertising is building your subscriber list. Even the best retail SMS marketing platform isn’t going to do much, if you don’t have subscribers.

    So, how do you actually earn subscribers?

    Make Opting In Ridiculously Easy

    No one wants to jump through hoops to sign up. The smoother the opt-in, the better.

    • Drop a digital sign-up form on your website and checkout page.
    • Add a text-to-join keyword in your social bios, receipts, or packaging. Example: “Text DEALS to 42020 for 20% off your next order.”
    • Use SMS keywords at events, online, in-store, anywhere your audience hangs out.

    Simple is powerful. Don’t overcomplicate it.

    Master Incentivizing Customers

    Incentives make a difference when you’re trying to gain customer opt-ins.

    • Offer a coupon or discount for first-time sign-ups.
    • Promise (and deliver) early access to product drops or limited sales.
    • Create VIP-only SMS coupons and loyalty rewards.

    The more enticing your offer is, the more sign-ups you’ll get.

    Go Omnichannel with Sign-Ups

    Your audience isn’t just hanging out in one place, so find new ways to reach them:

    • Use QR codes on window signs, packaging, or even print ads to invite sign-ups.
    • Add opt-ins during checkout on your Point-of-Sale system (POS), both online and in-store.
    • Run pop-ups or modals across your ecommerce site promoting your group text for business campaign: “Get on the list, get the deals first.”

    Think of it like casting a wide net. The more entry points, the bigger (and more diverse) your list.

    Trigger Smart Opt-In Flows

    Not everyone signs up the same way. So use behavioral triggers to meet them where they are:

    • Abandoned cart? Offer a sign-up discount if they opt in via text.
    • Viewed a product 3+ times? Hit them with a nudge: “Want updates on this item? Text YES.”
    • Made a second purchase? Invite them to join your VIP list.

    It’s all about context. Give them the right nudge at the right time.

  • Retail SMS Compliance Best Practices

    Before you start exploring promotional SMS examples and adding AI to your retail SMS workflows, you need to get serious about one thing: compliance.

    If you’re not following the latest SMS regulations, you could be facing major fines, and a big loss of customer trust.

    Here’s how to stay compliant without killing your vibe.

    Get Clear Customer Consent (Always)

    First rule of SMS marketing for retailers: don’t text people who didn’t ask for it.

    • Use explicit opt-in language. “By signing up, you agree to receive texts…” etc.
    • Want to be extra safe? Use double opt-ins. (Customer signs up, then confirms with “YES.”)
    • Store proof of consent to text in case it’s ever needed.

    Pro tip: customers are way more likely to opt in when the value is clear. Don’t just say “Sign up.” Say “Get 15% off when you sign up.”

    Respect Timing and Boundaries

    No one wants a 6 a.m. promo or a midnight discount code.

    • Follow local laws around message timing. Some states restrict texting outside 8 a.m. – 9 p.m.
    • Use role-based permissions in your team to limit who can send campaigns (and avoid accidents).
    • Be intentional. Don’t over-message. It’s not about quantity, it’s about relevance.

    Always personalize text messages with a focus on timing, and where your customers are.

    Make Opting Out Effortless

    Unsubscribes aren’t the end of the world. They keep your list clean and your reputation solid.

    • Include clear opt-out language in every message (“Reply STOP to unsubscribe”).
    • Respect requests to opt-out instantly. No ifs, ands, or follow-ups.
    • Track opt-out rates to see if you’re overdoing it.

    Make sure you keep your profile records up-to-date whenever customers change their preferences too.

    Monitor and Report Everything

    You can’t manage what you don’t measure. So turn on those tracking tools.

    • Monitor delivery rates, bounce rates, and reply times.
    • Use reporting and analytics tools to stay on top of trends and tweak your approach.
    • Set up detailed audit trails for full transparency.

    If things ever go sideways (hey, it happens), you’ll want those logs.

    Know the Laws That Apply to You

    Get clear on all the laws:

    • In the U.S., that means TCPA regulations, you need clear consent and opt-out capabilities.
    • If you’re international, pay attention to GDPR (EU) or CASL (Canada).
    • Not sure? When in doubt, assume stricter rules and act accordingly.

    Build your SMS for retail strategy on trust. Make your subscribers feel respected, not spammed.

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  • “Text messaging is something we wanted to do for a long time. Clerk was the perfect solution. We use it for ride reminders, dispatch communication, and scheduling. It's really helped our workflow.”
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    “Text messaging is something we wanted to do for a long time. Clerk was the perfect solution. We use it for ride reminders, dispatch communication, and scheduling. It's really helped our workflow.”

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