Did you know over 90% of people check their email every day? That sounds like a great way to reach your customers, but somehow your open and click-through rates are still in the dumps.
What gives?
Even with a large majority of people checking their email before social media, 40% of consumers say they have at least 50 unread messages. That means your email about that big winter sale is probably lost in a sea of potential spam.
Fortify your thrift store marketing with SMS messaging.
If you’re looking to increase foot traffic that ultimately leads to more sales, ThriftCart specialist Sarah Hartsell Emery and thrift store managers Kaitlyn Sandel and Madison Stahl walk you through how to master SMS messaging — and how to use ThriftCart to do it.
From compliance basics to real-world results, here’s the what, why, and how of SMS marketing for thrift stores.
Let’s jump in.
SMS marketing is communicating directly with your customers through text messages. Simple, right?
The beauty of SMS is that it meets customers where they already are. They’re scrolling through their phones dozens of times a day. A well-timed text about a flash sale or a new inventory drop lands right in their pocket — no algorithm or spam filter standing in the way.
Plus, text messages allow for quick, two-way communication. Customers can ask questions about donation drives, store hours, or ongoing promotions and get immediate answers. It’s convenient for everyone.
Thrift stores have unique marketing needs, and SMS delivers in ways email just can’t match.
Thriftcart’s Sarah shares some eye-opening stats:
Beyond the impressive numbers, 75% of consumers actually prefer SMS for delivery updates, promotions, and store communications. It’s more convenient, making it easier to tell potential spam apart from great deals at a favorite thrift store.
Outside of just the stats, SMS messaging offers some great benefits:
That doesn’t mean you should abandon email altogether, especially if you have the bandwidth. Email still has its place in your marketing strategy, but SMS offers something email can’t: speed, simplicity, and immediate action.
Related Read: 5 Email Marketing Strategies for Thrift Stores
Kaitlyn from Youth Homes Thrift Shop put it perfectly during the webinar:
“I cannot tell you how many people walk through our front door and say, ‘I got your text message. I’m here.’ Countless people have told me they had plans that day, but the minute they received the text, they rearranged their schedule because they didn’t want to miss our sale.”
That kind of customer engagement is exactly what SMS delivers.
If you’re ready to see results like Youth Homes Thrift Shop, here’s your complete roadmap to success with ThriftCart’s SMS messaging feature.
Once you understand the power of SMS, the next step is building your subscriber list. ThriftCart makes this easy with three built-in opt-in methods:
Tips for growing your SMS contacts list:
The key is training your staff to mention the benefits at checkout. Madison from Youth Homes Thrift Shop shared her team’s approach:
“The very first thing we mention is, ‘Are you in our loyalty program?’ People want to know what that is. We let them know they’re going to receive points for every purchase and that we can sign them up for text messaging where we text out when we have large sales. The majority of people get really excited about that.”
Before you start texting your entire customer list, there’s one vital rule you need to follow: Get permission first.
SMS marketing is regulated, and you need explicit consent from customers before sending them marketing messages. Just having their phone number isn’t enough — they have to specifically opt in to receive texts from you.
This might sound like a hassle, but it’s actually a huge advantage. When customers opt in, they’re telling you they want to hear from you. Unlike email lists where people get signed up without realizing it, your SMS subscribers are genuinely interested in your sales and updates. Every text you send is welcome information, not an annoyance.
You also need to:
It sounds intimidating, but ThriftCart makes compliance easy with integrated opt-in tools that handle the legal requirements automatically.
Plus, customers are tired of hunting for that hidden “unsubscribe” button at the bottom of emails. Even worse? They opt out and somehow still receive emails for months. SMS is cleaner. Customers reply to opt out. Done.
One of the most powerful SMS strategies is sending targeted messages to specific customer groups. Instead of blasting everyone on your list, you can reach the right people at the right time.
Repeat customers who haven’t shopped in 30 days might respond to a “we miss you” discount. Customers who’ve purchased from your furniture section might want to know when new pieces arrive. Birthday messages with special offers create personal connections.
If you’re already using ThriftCart, segmenting is built right into the platform. Navigate to Loyalty and Marketing in your dashboard. You can send messages to your entire opt-in list or create custom audiences based on purchase history, location, days since last visit, birthdays, or specific product categories.
ThriftCart lets you create these segments using simple if-then filters. If you need additional segmentation options that aren’t already built into the system, just open a support ticket. ThriftCart can add custom filters based on your specific needs.
Related Read: 6 Next-Level Marketing Ideas for Nonprofits
Send texts between 10 a.m. and 8 p.m. in your local time zone. That’s the sweet spot for engagement.
As for frequency, stick to two to four texts per month with at least five days between sends. You want customers excited to hear from you — not annoyed by constant buzzing.
SMS messages max out at 160 characters before they start splitting into multiple segments. Keep your most important info in the first 60 characters so it shows up in the preview.
Front-load your message with the key details. If you’re offering 50% off shoes, say that immediately. Don’t bury it in the third sentence.
ThriftCart helps you stay within the character limit with a built-in link shortener that keeps your messages concise without sacrificing important information.
Your customers should know exactly what you want them to do within seconds of reading your text.
Are you promoting a flash sale? Tell them what’s on sale, how much they’ll save, and when the sale ends.
Dropping new inventory? Let them know what just hit the floor and why they should stop by today.
ThriftCart’s SMS expert Sarah shares clear examples of what works and what falls flat:
See the difference? The first message is personalized, clear, and actionable. The second is cluttered and confusing.
If you have a customer’s name, use it. “Hi Sarah!” feels more personal and less like spam.
You can also use emojis strategically — just don’t go overboard. One or two per message is plenty. ThriftCart includes an emoji keyboard right in the campaign creation interface to make this easy.
Not sure what to text about? Here are some proven campaign ideas:
Treat your SMS list like a VIP club. Give subscribers exclusive perks, early access, or sneak peeks. It makes them feel valued and keeps them engaged.
Creating and sending SMS campaigns should be quick and straightforward. With ThriftCart, it is. Just click “Create Campaign” and start writing.
If you’re unsure how to word your promotion, ThriftCart’s AI-powered message drafting tool suggests copy based on your campaign details. Tell it what you’re promoting — for example, “advertise Easter sale with 50% off clothing” — and it generates options you can customize.
You can also create discount codes directly in ThriftCart and add them to your SMS campaigns. The system tracks redemption automatically, so you know exactly how many customers used the offer.
Once your message is ready, assign it to your chosen audience and hit send. The cost? Just 2.5 cents per message segment (remember, one segment equals 160 characters). You’re only charged for outbound messages — customer replies are free.
Finally, you need to see the numbers. How are your SMS campaigns actually performing? ThriftCart’s built-in success reporting shows you exactly how each campaign performs. You can see:
Use this data to refine your approach. Which messages got the best response? What time of day worked best? Let the numbers guide your strategy.
You can even print out these reports to share with your board of directors or stakeholders. It’s a powerful way to justify your marketing spend and demonstrate your return on investment (ROI).
SMS marketing drives foot traffic, increases sales, and builds stronger customer relationships. Madison and Kaitlyn from Youth Homes Thrift Shop are living proof.
For their President’s Day sale, they sent this message through ThriftCart:
“President’s Day Sale! 50% off all clothing and shoes. Men’s and women’s and includes Curated Collection. One day only: Monday, February 17. Don’t miss out! Shop and make a difference! 10 AM to 7 PM. TODAY.”
The results:
Madison’s pro tip:
“I always assume people have short attention spans. I try to keep all our messages under three sentences. The first sentence always includes ‘Youth Homes Thrift Shop’ so everybody knows where the message is from. The second sentence includes the sale or deal. The third might include something like ‘shop and make a difference.’”
It works because it’s clear, concise, and actionable.
Kaitlyn added:
“We always look forward to when we can send a text because we know we’re gonna have a big day.”
ThriftCart makes results like these possible. It’s a cloud-based POS system built specifically for thrift stores and secondhand shops. The SMS marketing feature connects directly to your loyalty program and customer data, allowing you to segment audiences based on purchase history, track campaigns performance, and measure ROI in real time.
Our all-in-one platform walks you through every step we just covered — like building your opt-in list and tracking campaign success.
Your customers are already looking at their phones. Make sure your thrift store is part of what they see. Build and Price your custom plan today to see how ThriftCart’s SMS marketing can grow your business.