“Shopping is a superpower.” While this might sound playful, it perfectly features how consumers, especially in the fashion industry, have accepted online shopping as their go-to option. Yet, in the rolling e-commerce world, a significant challenge remains – cart abandonment. In fact, in India, this statistic is quite astonishing, with an average cart abandonment rate of 51%, and across industries, it peaks at 70-75%. These are not just measured numbers for the fashion retailers, but rather and more importantly ‘dropped opportunities.’ There is hope, though. Fashion brands can push things in this direction with the right strategy, including the use of push notifications.
Observing Cart Abandonment in Fashion E-commerce
A situation wherein a customer adds the products to their online cart but then disappears from the website for whatever reason and doesn’t complete buying is ‘Cart Abandonment.’ This is one of the widely prevalent issues in the fashion industry. This is done for various reasons—last-minute doubts about their purchases, unexpected costs, or simply getting distracted. However, these factors shouldn’t spell the end for fashion brands. The key to taking missed opportunities to revenue is gaining a better understanding of why this happens and how it might be addressed.
The good news? The fashion industry is uniquely positioned to reduce cart abandonment. With constantly shifting trends and seasonal collections, customers return to brands they trust for fresh and new products. But how can fashion retailers seal the deal and bring customers back to their carts?
The Power of Push Notifications
One of the most effective tools in dipping cart abandonment is ‘push notifications.’ These are short, timely messages that pop up on a customer’s device—whether it’s their smartphone or desktop—reminding them of items they’ve left behind or alerting them to a special promotion. Research demonstrates that these can increase conversion rates and assist in closing the sale.
In a crowded fashion sector, where consumer loyalty can be fleeting, brands must make an impact to keep customers coming back. Push notifications may benefit in several ways such as:
- Personalised Reminders: Rather than just nudging customers about abandoned carts, push notifications can personalise the message. A notification that says, “Your favourite dress is waiting for you!” or “The jacket you love is almost gone!” sparks a sense of urgency and relevance. When notifications are tailored to the customer’s preferences and past behaviour, they feel more like an invitation than an interruption.
- Timely Engagement: Trending brands often face trials related to styles that change rapidly. For these, push notifications work as reminders when customers might neglect items they kept in their shopping cart before an item goes out of stock or loses its relevance in a certain season. And with fashion, timing is everything, and well-timed updates will reduce the occasion of losing any sale to its competitors.
- Exclusive Offers and Discounts: Push notifications permit fashion brands to send special offers or discounts to customers who’ve abandoned their carts. An exclusive 10% off or “Buy One, Get One Free” offer can tempt a hesitant shopper back to finish the purchase. This added value incentivises customers to proceed quickly and make a buy.
Push Notifications as a Retention Tool
It’s not about cart recovery alone. Push notifications have a significant role to play in the retention of customers, and for fashion retailers interested in customers returning the same way again and again, this is essential.
- Shaping a Connection: Personalised notifications can create a sensitive bond with the customer. Whether it is a birthday offer, reminding them about their favourite brand, or letting them know of new collections, these interactions will make purchasers feel more connected to the brand. This builds a sense of loyalty that goes beyond one purchase and encourages repeat business.
- Building Anticipation: The other issue is that it gets tough to keep the patrons interested between purchases. Push notifications can tell the shoppers about the sales that are about to happen, exclusive pre-launch events, or limited collections. This would build on anticipation and eagerness towards a brand and ensure customers are ready to act when it is time.
- Re-engagement Campaigns: Not all customers will return after an abandoned cart reminder. However, such updates can also be used as part of broader re-engagement strategies. Sending notifications about new arrivals, restocks of popular items, or seasonal promotions helps brands keep their customers engaged over time, so they are sure to remain top-of-mind when it’s time for their next purchase.
Leveraging Data to Improve Push Notification Strategy
The effectiveness of push notifications does not lie in sending them but in using data to enhance their impact. This way, fashion brands will be able to find the best times to send messages to their customers, which kind of messages they need, and what type of products will generate the most interest. This is to be achievable since brands can break them into various categories with regard to purchase history, browsers or loyalty status. As a result, every notification will be targeted and relevant, thereby increasing the chances of conversion since a customer is receiving messages that speak directly to their interests and needs.
The Final Word
As fashion brands focus ahead to 2025, embracing technologies which build meaningful engagement with customers is paramount. Push notifications serve as an effective means through which passing moments of interest are developed into long-term relationships. Brands within the fast-moving fashion industry who combine quality products with timely communication will be winning shoppers’ attention and ultimately sealing a deal. The ability to connect with customers at the right moment will be the differentiator in a competitive market.
