Retailers use e-mail to push post-holiday sales

This holiday season more marketers took advantage of e-mail than ever before to promote products leading up to the holiday. And the e-mail is continuing as retailers are vying for consumers' eyes for after Christmas and New Year's sales.

To promote its special two-day in-store sales event the two days after Christmas, Macy's sent out an e-mail. The e-mail promoted the in-store clearance event in which most of the store was 50% off and the extended holiday hours continued.

Banana Republic also used e-mail to attract potential post-holiday shoppers for its sale, up to 60% off that runs through the end of the year.

Relish, a design-focused housewares store based in Portland, OR, called customers to visit their special in-store and online sales event. The e-mail boasted about its “super-secret year end sale,” as being exclusively for “those on our e-mail list.” The e-mail even offers a code for discounting online sale items.

Travel Zoo also is using its weekly e-mail, “This Week's Top 20,” to push last minute New Year's ideas, including discounts on Las Vegas flights and hotel deals in San Francisco and London.