The Homa Files

TakeAway: Retailers are trying to recreate images as companies that know its customers and gives them what they want.

Stores are leveraging loyalty programs as a way to use the customer information and customize marketing for each person. 

* * * * *

Excerpted from AdAge, “Retailers on a quest to Rekindle the Personal Touch of a Bygone Era”  by Natalie Zmuda, February 14, 2011

… retailers knew their customers. Sales clerks sent invitations to store events, called when items of interest arrived… Rolodexes crammed with notes about shoppers’ favorite brands and styles. That style of shopping — an intimate experience, not an anonymous one — has long been thought dead… now retailers are hoping to recapture some of the old magic.

… by updating and expanding loyalty programs, …customers are highly educated …more demanding than she’s been in the past, … and wants to go to a retailer that understands her, is really relevant to the lifestyle she’s living, and really does pay attention.

My Macy’s, now in its third year, seeks to be more relevant to consumers by stocking shelves with items popular in local markets — … also extends to marketing. Events celebrating the Kentucky Derby …And big wins for local sports teams are recognized… This month, Macy’s Star Beach Party program will launch in Chicago, targeting college students from 10 area campuses … pairing texting and pop-up events to lure students shopping for spring break fashions and, eventually, interview suits, the retailer hopes.

… Food Lion has launched My Food Lion, inspired, in part, by My Macy’s … allows customers to create a profile personalized with relevant specials and recipes.

Worth noting: My Macy’s and My Food Lion are separate from those retailers’ loyalty programs, Macy’s Star Rewards and Food Lion’s MVP Card. The former focuses on understanding the customer and delivering desirable products and information, Ms. Reardon said. The latter is meant to reward customers for frequent shopping.

… savvier use customer information. PetSmart uses its database of email addresses to send out targeted emails with editorial content, as well as coupons. …Likewise, Sears Holdings has overhauled its loyalty program in the past two years, morphing it into Shop Your Way. …The program is cost-effective and gives Kmart and Sears the opportunity to build a robust database of consumers.… ongoing power of a very simple, classic idea: rewarding loyalty based on customer behavior,”…

More robust databases and better targeted communications will go a long way toward helping retailers recapture the magic of retailing days past. But it’s not easy or simple. … “What we tried to do was really customize [catalogs] to what the customer is really looking for and her past behavior shows she might want,” … “It was pretty resource intensive. But we learned a lot, and we are going to do similar things in the future.”

Edit by HH

This entry was posted on March 14, 2011 at 6:06 am and is filed under Mktg - Loyalty Programs. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.