Category: Retail Customer Loyalty Programs

This program has been around for many years and is an integral part of the Barnes & Noble brand experience. Members pay $25 per year for membership and immediately receive $50 in discounts.

Members also receive:

• Free express shipping on BN.com orders.
• 40% off hardcover best sellers.
• 10% off just about everything else.

If you buy books, it’s a great deal.  No need to carry your card if you’ve connected your phone number.

Learn more at the program website »

ASHEVILLE NC, OCTOBER 15 2014 – Loyalogy, leading provider of loyalty program analysis, data mining, reporting and consulting services, announced the results of its first annual U.S. study tracking consumer attitudes and behavior regarding retail rewards programs [CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD A PDF REPORT]

“This study provides clear evidence directly from consumers regarding the effectiveness of retail rewards programs and the importance of such programs to shoppers,” said Dennis Duffy, President of Loyalogy.

The study, based on detailed survey responses to 61 questions from 1,100 consumers from across the U.S., found that:

• Consumers estimate an appealing retail rewards program would increase their spending rate with a particular retailer by an average of 33%.
• Millennials in the study were especially motivated by retail rewards programs, reporting an expected spending increase of 41% as compared to the overall spending increase of 33%.
• Nearly two-thirds of consumers (65%) report they would recommend a retailer more to others if that retailer offered an appealing rewards program.
• 84% of consumers prefer a retail rewards program with a clearly-defined proposition in which they earn rewards based on total spending or number of purchases rather than a program built solely on periodic, surprise coupons or discounts.
  • 55% prefer a program that offers points based on spending which convert to reward dollars that may be spent with the retailer just like cash.
  • 29% prefer a program that is based upon number of purchases, such as buy ten items and get one free.
  • 16% prefer a program that offers surprise coupons/discounts from time to time.
• Consumers desire a simple reward program enrollment process in the retail establishment and would prefer to supply additional personal information online after they have finished shopping and departed the retail environment.
• Although consumer wallets are bulging with plastic cards, 60% of respondents stated that they don’t mind carrying a membership card for a rewards program if it’s necessary.
• Consumers participate in an average of 8.1 retail rewards programs.
• 73% of consumers find a single retail rewards program which spans multiple retail chains to be appealing.

ABOUT THE LOYALOGY CONSUMER RESEARCH STUDY

The Loyalogy consumer research study was conducted through an online survey of U.S. consumers between the ages of 25 and 65 with household incomes of $75,000 or more. The respondents were selected from an online research panel provided by The Sample Network. The survey consisted of 61 questions in categories that include:

• Participation rate in retail rewards programs in 12 retail categories:
  • Apparel
  • Footwear
  • Automotive Service, Repair & Tires
  • Home Improvement/Hardware
  • Electronics, Computers & Technology
  • General Merchandise Retailers
  • Jewelry/Accessories
  • Books
  • Pet Supplies
  • Garden Supplies, Plants & Accessories
  • Furniture
  • Sporting Goods
• Relative appeal of 14 different reward program benefits.
• Attitudes about 9 different statements regarding carrying membership cards, using a phone number as identifier and receiving promotional e-mail messages from rewards programs.
• Attitudinal statements regarding the impact of rewards programs on behavior.
• Demographic characteristics.

 

Any home dweller knows just how much money is spent painting, fixing, restoring or simply maintaining a house. The money really adds up! So to help customers save money with their home improvement and hardware purchases, Ace Hardware offers ‘Ace Rewards’ to reward Ace Hardware customers for their loyalty and spending. Ace Rewards is a perfect example of a rewards program that doesn’t offer a lot of bells and whistles but sure gets the job done. Ace Rewards is simple, easy and straightforward making it very customer friendly. Customers simply register with their email address and voila! Here are the benefits of being enrolled in the Ace Rewards program:

 

• Automatically receive 1,000 points just for signing up

• $1 spent = 10 points

• 2,5000 points = $5 reward (in other words, $250 spent = $5 back)

• Notifications sent to remind customers of sales

• Special coupons

• Helpful home tips

• Instant in-store savings

 

Customers simply use their Ace Rewards card when they shop at Ace to rack up points and save. When purchasing items to fix up the home, Ace offers a straight forward and easy way to save money. To learn more about Ace Rewards you can visit their website.

Go to Kohl’s website to see whether they have a rewards program, scan every square inch and nope – nothing about a rewards program. But if you do an internet search for “Kohl’s rewards program” you’ll stumble upon ‘Kohl’s Rewards’, which links you to a few pages proving Kohl’s actually does have a rewards program. So why the big secret – wouldn’t a successful retailer like Kohl’s want to advertise their rewards program to encourage customers to enroll? Absolutely and of course! The reason Kohl’s Rewards isn’t clearly advertised on their website is because the rewards program is in the pilot stage where it is being tested out in certain markets so that Kohl’s can work out the kinks before launching it nationwide. If you go to the Kohl’s Rewards website you’ll find that it requires you to enter your zip code… if you don’t happen to live in one of the test areas you’ll receive a message that states, “We’re sorry, Kohl’s Rewards is not yet available in your area. Check back soon. We’re expanding quickly!” Here’s what customers can look forward to once Kohl’s Rewards is launched in their area:
 

• Earn 1 point for every dollar spend

• Spend $100 and receive a $5 reward

• 8 savings offers guaranteed each year

• A special birthday offer

• Easy account access via email

 
We did a little investigative research to find out where Kohl’s Rewards program is currently available and when we can expect the customer loyalty program to be available nationwide. The customer representative we spoke to mentioned that it is already available in select cities of California, Washington, Oregon, Illinois, Ohio, New York, New Jersey, North Carolina and Arizona. The most recent launch was in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania but the majority of the state doesn’t have access to the program yet. Kohl’s will keep releasing Kohl’s Rewards in a handful of locations at a time and hopes to be nationwide by the end of the year. To learn more about this somewhat secret rewards program, visit the Kohl’s Rewards webpage.

There’s a special joy when you bring home a new treat for your dog or toy for your cat and watch them as they happily revel in their new gift. For animal lovers who love to indulge their animal companions, Petco customers can earn 5% back on every purchase through Petco’s customer loyalty program ‘Pals Rewards.’ Once a Pals member spends $100, they receive $5 worth of Pals Rewards Dollars to use towards their next Petco purchase. What makes Petco Pals Rewards extra special is that you can update your membership to be a part of Petco’s ‘Free Food’ and ‘Free Groom’ club as well. Here are some of the specifics for those programs:

Petco Pals – Free Food
Once a customer buys 10 bags of premium cat or dog food using their Pals card, they receive a free bag of the same food. There are a couple of caveats – It must be the same size and brand of food for each 10 purchases; All purchases must be within 12 months; It takes 4-6 weeks to receive the coupon for the free bag of food through the mail; The customer must pay the sales tax on the free bag of food; Only in-store purchases apply.

Petco Pals – Free Groom
To receive a free groom, customers need to use their Pals card when they take their cat or dog to the Petco Grooming Salon to buy a Full-service Groom, Full-service Bath or Self-service Dog Wash. After 8 purchases, the next groom is free. Similarly to the Free Food program, it takes 4-6 weeks for customers to receive their coupon in the mail and all services must be purchased within 12 months.

Animal lovers know how fast and easy it is to spend money on their pets, so $5 back on every $100 spent and a way to receive a free bag of pet food or a free groom is truly a great way to reward loyal pet loving customers. To learn more about Petco’s Pals Rewards you can visit their website.

When an athlete or a sports lover needs a new pair of kicks, Foot Locker is one of the first places they’re going to cruise for new shoes. And a little secret… women aren’t the only ones with shoe addictions. For those guys that can’t wait to pick up the next pair of Jordans, Foot Locker’s reward program ‘VIP’ makes this tempting vice very rewarding indeed. Athletic shoe lovers, male or female, have a great opportunity to save and even go Platinum with VIP. Here are the benefits for VIP Club members:

•  Welcoming gift of a $10 coupon towards next purchase of $50 or more

• Early access to select products

• Exclusive coupons that are emailed or texted throughout the year

• VIP treatment at special events

• Access to VIP Blog

And when customers spend $300 in a year they are automatically bumped up to Platinum status which includes these special features:

• Special Platinum welcome offer

• Spend $100, get a $10 rewards card; $200 = $20; $300 = $30

• Special birthday discounts

• Access to exclusive online products

Becoming VIP is easy – customers simply enroll online to access all of these great features through the Foot Locker website or through Foot Locker’s VIP mobile app. To learn more about Foot Locker’s VIP rewards program, visit their website.

 

We all know that person who drives an extra 10 miles to pay 4¢ less a gallon of gasoline – hey, maybe that person is you? Let’s face it… no one likes to pay for gas and if there’s a way to save money, most of us will jump on the opportunity. Understanding the dilemma of the gas pump, Jiffy Lube offers its customers the ‘Fuel Rewards Network’ – a rewards program that rewards enrolled customers with special gasoline discounts every time they purchase a Jiffy Lube service. Partnering with Shell Oil Company and Pennzoil, the Fuel Rewards Network offers different levels of discount based on the type of service purchased. Here’s a rundown of how it works:

First… Purchase a Jiffy Lube Signature Service^® Oil Change. If you upgrade to one of Pennzoil’s premium oils or synthetic oils, you can save even more. Based on which oil you choose you can save 15¢/gal, 30¢/gal or 50¢/gal.

Next… After your service you will be given a FRN Rewards Code on card with the irresistible metal foil that you get to scratch off the back to reveal your unique code.

Then… Go online and logon to your Fuel Rewards Network account and enter the code you found under the scratched off foil.

Last… When you’re ready to gas up, go to a Shell gas station and swipe your Fuel Rewards Network card before you pump, and see the price of gasoline drop 15¢, 30¢, or 50¢ a gallon.

And if that’s not motivating enough, the Fuel Rewards Network helps customers save even more when they dine out, shop on the Fuel Rewards Network online mall, and rewards customers further with exclusive offers and special promotions. Successful rewards programs know how to motivate their customers and when it comes to oil changes, Jiffy Lube has found a surefire way into the hearts of many… a discount on gas! To learn more about Fuel Rewards Network, visit their website.