Retail shops need to stay up to date with the latest technologies to innovate, and charity shops are no different. Mobile offers a whole new way to connect with people, but most charity retail shops are slow to take advantage of this. Most people in the UK have a mobile, and very few spend more than a couple of hours per day out of reach of it so it is no surprise that businesses are using this channel to their advantage. To help you capitalise on this technology too, we’re going to outline some of the biggest reasons charities need to be using mobile today.

Donors Have the Freedom to Donate When They Want To

Usually when a person is asked to donate to a charity, they are either in store or in the street. Although these methods have some success, they force the individual to make a decision on the spot and most people don’t like this. Many services allow charities to receive donations through texting, or via apps, and this gives people the chance to make the decision in their own time and donate when they like. This increases the chances that the individual will make a donation.

More People Can Be Reached

Not everyone can be reached through canvassing, and some people don’t shop in charity shops. People who are housebound, can’t shop during normal hours or are from out of the area can’t be reached through these methods. Mobile allows you to connect with these people that would otherwise not have been reached.

Mobile Doesn’t Cost Much

Having people in the street canvassing isn’t free, and the costs add up. In contrast, mobile is a lot cheaper to set up and maintain so will save you money that you could be putting to better use elsewhere.

Donors Can Stay Up-To-Date

When an individual donates in store or on the street, the donor rarely stays connected with the charity to find out how their donation made a difference. Mobile allows people to follow the progress of a charity and see the good work they are doing. Not only does this make donors feel better about their donations, it also increases the chances that they’ll donate again and tell others about the charity.

Hopefully you’ll now have some ideas about what mobile can do for your charity and how you can benefit from implementing it into your marketing strategy.

If you are looking to invest in other areas of your charity shop you may consider improving your charity retail systems. If this is something you are interested in doing, don’t hesitate to contact us on 01204 706 000 or head over to our website where you can book a demo of the CHARiot system.