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#1 mysage

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Posted 29 October 2012 - 07:26 PM

To All,

Our daughter is in the middle of writing a paper on marketing. One of the assignments is to create a retail customer loyalty program. With this in mind I thought that I would ask the many and varied posters on VV for any recommendations that they might have. Who is doing it well, who needs to improve and what features or offers keep you in touch and loyal to any company or brand. Lots of retailers talk about their customer loyalty programs but who really delivers and how do they do it?

Your help and thoughts are appreciated.

#2 SamCB

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Posted 29 October 2012 - 07:54 PM

Starbucks Gold Card... I never understood the logic behind paying $5 for coffee, but I know many people with unfailing brand loyalty there.

#3 Holden West

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Posted 29 October 2012 - 08:11 PM

At the low end, you have the simple punch card. Buy ten coffees, muffins, haircuts what have you and receive the next one free or at a discount.

Where I work, management identified some of its longest and biggest spending customers and invited them to participate in the company's fancy anniversary cocktail party.

So it could be a system where the customer makes the initiative, signs up and becomes a loyal customer or it could be where management identifies and targets the top customers and ensures they remain loyal and don't stray.

I think the trick is not merely to buy their patronage but to make them feel like insiders, like members of the family. It doesn't have to cost money, it could be an alert that a new shipment of goods has arrived.
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#4 sdwright.vic

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Posted 30 October 2012 - 04:31 AM

Airmiles... the best!
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#5 HB

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Posted 30 October 2012 - 09:19 AM

Starbucks Gold Card... I never understood the logic behind paying $5 for coffee, but I know many people with unfailing brand loyalty there.



I frequent Starbucks everyday and their loyalty program is good.
A cup of coffee is $1.96 not $5 as you claim

When I use my preloaded card I get a free refill so in essence my coffee is only $ .98

After 12 coffee purchases on my card I get a free (any) food item or (any) drink


Pretty good deal in my eyes.
What other coffee joint in this town gives you any food item they have for free after 12 coffee purchases.

I will await the answer so that I can start going there as well.

#6 VicHockeyFan

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Posted 30 October 2012 - 09:28 AM

BUILD IT INTO YOUR POS SYSTEM!

Punch cards suck except maybe at a local coffee place where you see the same customer every day, or several times a week. In that case though, don't give them the fifth coffee free, give them some other menu item (a cookie?) that might get them enthused. It can be different every week, adds spice.

I saw in a thread where I asked what pharmacy people liked, we got over 100 replies and so many of them said they shop Shoppers because of the Optima (Optimum?) card. I looked at that program, you have to spend $8000 to get a $170 item I think. But it still works.

You have to constantly make your customer aware you HAVE a program, that's part of the battle. But that's why cards work - "do you have your Optimum card?" every single time you buy there...
<p><span style="font-size:12px;"><em><span style="color:rgb(40,40,40);font-family:helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">"I don’t need a middle person in my pizza slice transaction" <strong>- zoomer, April 17, 2018</strong></span></em></span>

#7 jklymak

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Posted 30 October 2012 - 09:48 AM

I look forward to being able to carry these loyalty "cards" on my iphone. I only carry a couple right now because its a PITA to carry one for all the stores I go to.

#8 VicHockeyFan

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Posted 30 October 2012 - 10:02 AM

I look forward to being able to carry these loyalty "cards" on my iphone. I only carry a couple right now because its a PITA to carry one for all the stores I go to.


I think with cell# portability though, that's all you should need, give it verbally. You can scan your loyalty barcode into your phone now, for some cards.
<p><span style="font-size:12px;"><em><span style="color:rgb(40,40,40);font-family:helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">"I don’t need a middle person in my pizza slice transaction" <strong>- zoomer, April 17, 2018</strong></span></em></span>

#9 sebberry

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Posted 30 October 2012 - 10:10 AM

I think as NFC evolves on phones we'll see loyalty programs implemented this way too. Tap your phone, get your points. Manage them with the app, redeem them online, etc...

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#10 sdwright.vic

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Posted 30 October 2012 - 02:01 PM

There is already an app called Key Ring. Difficulty is store scanners don't always read... but then the cashier just enters manual.
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#11 LJ

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Posted 30 October 2012 - 05:56 PM

I think the most effective ways is to offer the loyalty card member reduced prices at the time of sale like BOGO, BOGO.5 or something like that.
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#12 HB

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Posted 30 October 2012 - 07:12 PM

I think as NFC evolves on phones we'll see loyalty programs implemented this way too. Tap your phone, get your points. Manage them with the app, redeem them online, etc...


That is exactly the way my Starbucks iPhone app works.

I buy a coffee with it it deducts the amount instantly from my cards. It also tell me how many more drinks I need to buy before I get free food and drinks.
When I do have a free thing it is on my phone App instantly and to redeem I flash the bar code in front of the till and that's it.

Very convenient no hassles and no waiting

#13 VicHockeyFan

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Posted 30 October 2012 - 08:36 PM

I think the most effective ways is to offer the loyalty card member reduced prices at the time of sale like BOGO, BOGO.5 or something like that.


Oooh, I like that. You could have one or two or three loyalty BoGos in the store each day, moving around daily. You'd search the whole store high and low looking for the marker flag.

Damn, K-Mart used to have the almost-hourly "blue-light special" (or was it red light?). Anyway, it was an awesome sales technique. Kept people in the store in anticipation of the next one.

EDIT: Blue!

Blue Light Special and 1994 closures
Kmart's red classic logo (1990–2004). It is in use at many older locations

The original Blue Light Special, first introduced in 1965,[13] was retired in 1991.[14] The company brought back the Blue Light Special in 2001, but again discontinued it in 2002. The concept was briefly revived in 2005, though Kmart at that time had no plans to use the concept long-term.[15]

Blue Light Specials were revived again in 2009 on Saturdays, offering surprise hour-long sales on selected merchandise.[13]

In 1994, Kmart closed 110 stores. Unlike its competitors Walmart and Target, it had failed to invest in computer technology to manage its supply chain. Furthermore, Kmart maintained a high dividend, which reduced the amount of money available for improving its stores. Many business analysts also faulted the corporation for failing to create a coherent brand image.


http://en.wikipedia....d_1994_closures
<p><span style="font-size:12px;"><em><span style="color:rgb(40,40,40);font-family:helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">"I don’t need a middle person in my pizza slice transaction" <strong>- zoomer, April 17, 2018</strong></span></em></span>

#14 Holden West

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Posted 30 October 2012 - 09:12 PM

Punch cards suck except maybe at a local coffee place where you see the same customer every day, or several times a week. In that case though, don't give them the fifth coffee free, give them some other menu item (a cookie?) that might get them enthused. It can be different every week, adds spice.


That's a great idea. Don't just give away what they already came for, get them interested in value-added items they haven't tried.

I saw in a thread where I asked what pharmacy people liked, we got over 100 replies and so many of them said they shop Shoppers because of the Optima (Optimum?) card. I looked at that program, you have to spend $8000 to get a $170 item I think. But it still works.


Off topic, but I know a guy that has to take one of those crazy expensive drug injections like Remicade for Crohn's disease once every few months. Each injection is something like four thousand dollars. The prescription came through Shoppers and needless to say he was racking up massive Optima points until BC stopped the practice of using meds for points.
"Beaver, ahoy!""The bridge is like a magnet, attracting both pedestrians and over 30,000 vehicles daily who enjoy the views of Victoria's harbour. The skyline may change, but "Big Blue" as some call it, will always be there."
-City of Victoria website, 2009

#15 VicHockeyFan

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Posted 15 April 2015 - 11:17 AM

London Drugs has started a loyalty program... and they are starting it here on the Island before they roll it out wide.

 

https://www.ldextras.com/


<p><span style="font-size:12px;"><em><span style="color:rgb(40,40,40);font-family:helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">"I don’t need a middle person in my pizza slice transaction" <strong>- zoomer, April 17, 2018</strong></span></em></span>

#16 Nparker

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Posted 15 April 2015 - 11:22 AM

London Drugs has started a loyalty program...

And I am already several purchases into my first reward. :banana:



#17 LocalMom

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Posted 15 April 2015 - 01:41 PM

It's sadly only tied to frequency of visits and not in any way related to $ spent (above the minimum $10 spend to register as a 'visit'). So if I visit 10 times and spent $15 each visit and you visit the same number of times but spend $515 each visit, we get the same 'reward'. Meh.

Edited by LocalMom, 15 April 2015 - 01:42 PM.


#18 VicHockeyFan

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Posted 15 April 2015 - 01:43 PM

It's sadly only tied to frequency of visits and not in any way related to $ spent (above the minimum $10 spend to register as a 'visit'). So if I visit 10 times and spent $15 each visit and you visit the same number of times but spend $515 each visit, we get the same 'reward'. Meh.

 

I think it's actually clever that way.  Each visit has to be a min. $10 purchase, BTW.


  • Nparker likes this
<p><span style="font-size:12px;"><em><span style="color:rgb(40,40,40);font-family:helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">"I don’t need a middle person in my pizza slice transaction" <strong>- zoomer, April 17, 2018</strong></span></em></span>

#19 Layne French

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Posted 18 April 2015 - 09:59 AM

we are forgetting one of the oldest and most widely used loyalty program.... canadian tire money. It is multi platform( get it from using their credit card, shopping in stores, fuel rebates.) and can be used against a wide variety of goods/services. 



#20 johnk

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Posted 18 April 2015 - 02:41 PM

Alaska Airlines Mastercard gives 25,000 miles to join and US$99 companion fare good in N. America including Hawaii and Mexico. We run pretty well everything through it, easily good for 30,000 miles a year.

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