Goodbye, email. Hello, mobile.

Is email gone for good? Tech leaders believe it will be around forever, but its primary purpose of sending and receiving messages is slowly going the way of the cassette tape.

Email is shifting to become a backup tool for other communication channels like WhatsApp, FB Messenger, Instagram, and Telegram…and the impact on the retail sector cannot be ignored.

The pros and cons of email

While email may be considered an outdated technology, retailers who are focused on a fantastic customer experience may want to weigh the advantages and disadvantages before developing robust email marketing strategies.

So what are the pros and cons of email communications for retail brands and consumers?

Pros

• Email doesn’t interfere. It stays "quiet" in the background, lingering there until you need it. It doesn't interrupt you in the middle of a conversation, meeting, or errand.

• It involves very little effort from the consumer. Few manual steps mean it’s super simple and most important, FREE.

• It’s familiar. Consumers are comfortable with the familiar. There’s no greater example of that than online order confirmations that go straight to an email inbox.

• According to marketing leader HubSpot, there are 3.9 billion daily email users. That’s a stat that shouldn’t be ignored.

Cons

• Spam is the #1 enemy. Everyone hates it, and spammers are getting more sophisticated, except for the Nigerian prince with a billion-dollar fortune, of course.

• Phishing attacks. According to security firm Tessian, phishing attacks cost companies an average of $1.6 million in lost revenue. When shoppers mistake phishing emails for legitimate communications, consumer trust is broken, and that’s difficult to rebuild.

• Typos. Misspelled email addresses - need we say more?

Are email receipts at checkout really contactless?

To receive an email receipt at checkout, shoppers need to manually enter their email address onto a keypad. Hundreds – perhaps thousands – of other customers have already touched that same keypad.

Not exactly a hygienic practice in the middle of a pandemic.

The impact on global consumerism

We humans live our lives close to our phones. We go to work with them, we learn with them, we use them to share our opinions, and we capture the most important aspect of our lives with them.

In a mobile-first society, we expect access to information in real-time. While email is typically pretty fast, it doesn’t feel that way to retail consumers who shop while holding a phone in their hands.

2021: a new year of superior customer engagement

Email may not be dead yet, but newer communication methods are leading the way.

A great CX depends on exceptional communications. So if you're still relying on email, you're missing the boat. ReceetMe can help. We’ve pioneered a digital receipt mobile solution and built it from the ground up with consumer engagement in mind.

Ready to innovate? Get in touch and let us help you lead digital transformation in a whole new way.