A little over two months ago Lane Bryant began sending emails in a slimmer format. They changed the overall width of their emails from 640 pixels to 480 pixels. This change is not limited to Lane Bryant either. This is a trend you’ll see with many other retailers. So what gives? It’s no secret that email opens on mobile devices is a big deal (currently about 50% are opened on a mobile device). This is another shift toward mobile friendly email design. Slimmer emails with larger text sizes and fewer navigation links are all practices that make email mobile friendly. This is not necessarily responsive design, it’s a “mobile first” mentality. I expect to see more retailers embracing this in the future.

Lane Bryant is also including mobile signup in the email footer. Engaging customers via SMS messaging is something that isn’t talked about much. If you have the capability it’s definitely something to consider. Customers that trust you with their phone number are typically your most loyal customers.