• by Ray Schultz , Columnist, January 30, 2025

Free shipping remains the main attraction when brands are inviting shoppers to opt in for emails and/or text messages, according to Wunderkind’s 2025 Consumer Insights Report For Digital Commerce, done in partnership with MX8 Labs.  

Of the consumers polled, 56% overall cite shipping as the top convincer. That rises to 69% among boomers and 62% among Gen X.  

Younger people are less likely to be persuaded — the study finds that 44% of millennials and 47% of Gen Z respond to free shipping offers. 

Next is loyalty points that can be used later for rewards: 47% choose this option. And 27% are motivated by one-time discounts.

Consumers typically find 37% on brand websites, and 32% via emails. Boomers are the most likely to prefer the latter — 42%, versus 29% of Gen X, 29% of Millennials and  25% of Gen Z. 

Indeed, email remains the most popular channel for 40%. At 59%, Boomers are most likely to choose email, while only 25% of Gen Z prefer it. 

Text messages are favored by 20%, while 16% cite texts with imagery or video. 

The study advises brands to “prioritize email and website offers for Boomers and Gen X, while creating visually dynamic social media campaigns for Millennials and Gen Z.  

In general, 52% of shoppers who visit brand websites and apps can be persuaded to buy with a price drop offer on an item they viewed. And 50% will respond to follow-ups with discount codes. 

The takeaway from these findings? “Triggered email and text campaigns represent a particularly powerful opportunity,” the study concludes. “By leveraging first-party data and AI, brands can engage shoppers at the right moment, whether it’s with a back-in-stock alert, a reminder about an abandoned cart, or a personalized product recommendation.”