SMS marketing campaign ideas for retail, markets, restaurants and cafés

SEO & Marketing·· 41 views· 4 min read

The short answer: in retail, markets, restaurants and cafés, the SMS campaigns that work best are the ones that bring customers in on a particular day: the weekend offer, new arrivals, the dish of the day, a theme night, a birthday treat. Below are campaign ideas for each, with sample messages. Service notices (order ready, booking confirmed) are covered in business SMS by sector.

In the messages, the parts in square brackets, such as [COMPANY] or [PHONE], are placeholders for your own details. Always end with a way to opt out.

Retail and markets

Campaign Message Tip
Weekend offer Hi {$contact_first_name}, the new season's products are here! 10% off everything this weekend. [COMPANY] Send on Thursday or Friday, before weekend shopping.
New arrivals [COMPANY]: the new collection is in! Come and see it first, Monday to Saturday, 8am to 6pm. No name needed, so it suits any list.
Payday [COMPANY]: monthly basket of essentials at a special price, until Sunday. Opt out: [PHONE] At the end or start of the month.
Sale [COMPANY]: up to 50% off shoes and clothes, until Saturday only. Opt out: [PHONE] A short, clear deadline.
Loyalty card Hi {$contact_first_name}, your loyalty card earns double points today. [COMPANY] Only for the group of cardholders.
Holiday opening hours [COMPANY]: on the [DATE] holiday we are open 9am to 1pm. Enjoy the day! Even with no offer, it saves wasted trips.

Restaurants, cafés and bakeries

Campaign Message Tip
Theme night Hi {$contact_first_name}, Friday is seafood night, with live music. Book your table at [WEBSITE]. [COMPANY] Schedule it for late morning, when customers think about their next meal.
Menu of the week [COMPANY]: this week, a set lunch with soup, main and a drink. Bookings: [PHONE] Once a week is enough; every day wears people out.
Delivery and takeaway [COMPANY]: we now deliver to your door. Order on [PHONE] until 9pm. Good for the group of customers in your delivery area.
Birthday Happy birthday {$contact_first_name}! Dessert is on us all this month. Show this SMS. [COMPANY] One group per birthday month. See birthday SMS.
Seasonal orders [BAKERY]: we are now taking year-end cake orders. Order by the 28th: [PHONE] Early, before the diary fills up.
Last-minute table [COMPANY]: we still have tables for dinner tonight. Bookings: [PHONE] For the regulars group, in the early afternoon.

Getting more from each campaign

1 Split into groups: cardholders, customers in the delivery area, business customers (group lunches, large orders). See how to segment.
2 Use a code per campaign or ask people to show the SMS, so you know how many came. See how to measure.
3 Start from the templates: the SMS Center Library has over 100 templates organised by activity, ready to adapt. See templates and AI.
Photos do not travel by SMS, but your website does. For the dish of the day or a new collection, a short link to a page on your website with the photos does the rest. See links in SMS.
A dish of the day every day is too much. A daily SMS to the same list wears people out within weeks. Pick one or two moments a week, or send only to customers who really asked for the menu.

Ready for your next offer? See SMS Marketing and the templates by sector.

See the SMS Marketing page

SEE ALSO

Business SMS by sector: retail, clinics, schools, deliveries and more, with example messages

Best days and times to send marketing SMS, by type of business

Birthday and loyalty SMS: rewarding regular customers without overdoing it

An SMS marketing calendar for the year: seasons, paydays, back to school and year end

SMS templates and AI: ready-made messages, the template library and improving a text

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