The Macy’s One Day Sale event takes place online, in mobile and in-store on Feb. 8. There was also a preview day yesterday.

“Using SMS to promote a one day sale is an excellent use of Macy’s opted-in customer database,” said Doug Stovall, senior vice president of sales at Hipcricket. 

“Macy’s has been a leader in using creative campaigns like their Backstage Pass program to drive mobile interactions and loyalty,” he said. “This strategy shows that they are now taking the next step by offering steep discounts for those who act fast – one of the greatest benefits of mobile marketing.

Macy’s Inc. operates about 850 department stores in 45 states under the names of Macy’s and Bloomingdale’s.

SMS deal
Consumers who are not opted in to the Macy’s SMS program can opt-in by texting to the short code 62297.

Once consumers opt-in they receive messages letting them know about any upcoming or current sales.

For this particular message, Macy’s is letting consumers know about its upcoming sale that features limited-time deals and free shipping.

The Macy’s SMS message

Additionally, there is a link within the text which leads consumers to the company’s mobile-optimized site.

Once users are at the Macy’s mobile site, they can shop red-hot deals and browse their favorite products.

Consumers can also shop the rest of the company’s inventory or use the search functionality at the top of the mobile site to narrow down their search if they are looking for something specific.

The mobile site also lets consumers find the nearest location where they can browse the sales items in-person.

Users can also use the Valentine’s Day gift guide to find gifts for their special someone.

Mobile effect
An SMS campaign such as this is an effective way to not only drive in-store traffic, but mobile traffic as well.

Macy’s is smart to keep its mobile database consumers informed about any upcoming sales and including a link that takes them to a mobile site which they can shop no matter where they are is effective.

“The immediacy of SMS is a perfect fit for one day sales and linking directly to the retailer’s mobile site offers customers multiple means of engagement and will likely result in higher sales both through the mobile site and in store,” Mr. Stovall said.