Case Study: Academy Sports + Outdoors boosts review volume and coverage with Bazaarvoice SMS and AI

Academy Sports + Outdoors boosts native reviews 168% with Bazaarvoice SMS

Academy Sports + Outdoors faced a challenge when its pivot to mobile-first checkouts resulted in a 40% drop in review volume, creating a content desert that impacted consumer trust and product discoverability. The sporting goods retailer partnered with Bazaarvoice to modernize its feedback collection methods without compromising its streamlined, SMS-driven point-of-sale experience.

Bazaarvoice co-created a hosted SMS capability and improved catalog health to 94%, transforming the collection process into a mobile-first experience. This solution, which leveraged AI-powered tools like Review Summaries, led to a 168% surge in native reviews, with SMS now accounting for 76% of all content. Product review coverage expanded by 40%, and a private-label pilot saw a 61% surge in review volume, successfully recovering lost volume and setting a new industry benchmark for engagement.

Academy Sports + Outdoors