How Benchmade Tripled SMS Opt-Ins and Unlocked $22K in Monthly Revenue with Dataships

The Standard SMS Flow Was Leaving Money on the Table

Benchmade's community doesn't just buy knives. They collect them, discuss them, and show them off on social. With limited-edition drops selling out in minutes, SMS became the fastest way to reach enthusiasts before products disappeared.

But there was a problem.

Like most Shopify brands, Benchmade was using the standard SMS opt-in flow: customers entered their phone number at checkout, then had to reply "Y" via text to complete signup. It was clunky, disjointed, and cost them subscribers.

"People are very focused on checking out," Adam Hutton, Senior Manager of Digital Growth, explained. "So they put in their phone number, and once they finish checking out, they simply move on with their day. Having to go back and do another step on their phone is something that creates a lot of drop-off."

The result was an SMS marketing consent rate hovering around 4%. That meant a large majority of Benchmade's purchasers weren't getting subscribed to the channel that mattered most for retention.

For a brand launching nearly 100 products per year, that was a massive missed opportunity.

Dataships' Easy Opt-In Eliminates Friction at Checkout

Dataships replaced the standard "reply Y" flow with a frictionless verification code system. Instead of bouncing customers out of checkout to their text messages or relying them to complete double opt-in after the purchase, the process now happens instantly, right on the page.

Here's how it works: customers enter their phone number, a verification code drops down automatically, they enter it, and they're opted in. The entire process is fast, compliant, and seamless.

“Speed and simplicity are critical to our customer experience,” Adam said. “Customers want to complete their purchase without unnecessary steps getting in the way.”

Benchmade has already been using Dataships for email consent collection, so integrating the SMS collection feature was as simple as turning it on and running an A/B test to prove incrementality. Within weeks, the data told the story.

"Easy Opt-in was incredibly easy to set up. It just fit into our flow."

A 3X Lift in SMS Consent and Measurable Revenue Impact

The A/B test results were immediate and decisive.

Benchmade’s SMS marketing consent rate jumped from 4.23% to 12%, a 3X increase and now the highest SMS opt-in rate in the entire Dataships portfolio.

But volume was only part of the story. Dataships' LTV analysis revealed that SMS subscribers had a $54 higher customer lifetime value than non-subscribers. At the rate Benchmade was now acquiring SMS subscribers, that translated to $22K in incremental LTV every single month.

For a team focused on owned growth and retention, the math was undeniable.

"It all comes down to level of effort and ROI," Adam said. "The barrier to entry here is actually high when you think about modifying Shopify checkout. So it's not worth our time to build it ourselves when we can leverage a tool out of the box and know that we're getting a return on the monthly investment."

Beyond the numbers, Dataships gave Adam and his team something equally valuable: confidence. They knew every SMS subscriber was properly consented, compliant, and ready to engage. No gray areas or manual cleanup.

“SMS plays a key role in how we engage our most active customers,” Adam said. “It gives us a direct, timely way to communicate that feels natural and relevant.”

What's Next: Expanding the Full-Funnel Retention Machine

With SMS consent now optimized at checkout, Benchmade is focused on scaling the value of those subscribers. The team is exploring Dataships' SMS testing capabilities and looking to expand touchpoints across the customer journey, from post-purchase onboarding to pre-launch hype for limited drops.

Adam is also eyeing ways to capture even more high-intent customers earlier in the funnel, ensuring that Benchmade's list growth strategy matches the intensity of its product launch calendar.

"Now that we've proven that SMS can drive nearly $22K of incremental LTV every month, this new unlock really just proves the importance of list growth to drive LTV. And now we're focused on capturing as many emails and phone numbers as possible."

Use Dataships like Benchmade does.

See how our checkout integration can transform your SMS list growth for higher LTV and revenue. Book a demo or run a free revenue analysis.