Retailers get text appeal with txt2buy

This article is brought to you by Retail Technology Review: Retailers get text appeal with txt2buy.

A new service has been launched that is said to be able to allow every customer in the UK to purchase items instantly and securely from any advert, simply by sending a text message.
 
txt2buy is claimed to offer retailers the chance to gain incremental sales from their existing marketing and to improve their upselling and cross selling opportunities, regardless of whether their customers have the latest smart phone and without having to download an App or waiting for web pages to load.

 
Retailers simply add a txt2buy call-to-action to their advertising and consumers can order instantly by sending the required keyword  to the number displayed on the advert. Following a simple one-time registration process with txt2buy (similar to setting up a Paypal account) consumers can order items of their choice in as little as  45 seconds, making txt2buy one of the quickest ways to close a sale.
 
This technology is said to be a faster, simpler way for customers to order products they want. The provider also claims that retailers can also generate more sales by closing impulse purchases at the moment of engagement with the advertising exposure. This, it says, ensures the value of their advertising results in sales with their brand directly and not their competitors.
 
txt2buy is already in early stage trials with some of the most established UK retail brands and is due to appear in mainstream advertising campaigns from as early as July 2011.
 
Marketing & Brand Director at txt2buy, Gordon Ellis-Brown, said: "txt2buy is a compelling new service that has the potential to revolutionise how retailers engage with a larger customer base, more than ever before. It is quickest way to close a sale, as consumers don't need internet access to purchase all they have to do is send a simple text".
 
"The fact that the service works with current technology means that there is no upfront investment, expensive software or training required. As well as measuring offline marketing spend, txt2buy is able to capture that data and offer massive opportunities for up-selling and cross selling," adds Ellis-Brown.