Big Lots offers 'influential' social media creators chance to earn commissions
Closeout retailer Big Lots Inc. is looking to make inroads in the social media creator and publisher community by giving them the opportunity to earn commissions.
The company has launched an affiliate program that offers "influential" social media creators and publishers the chance to apply to be among the first to share limited-time closeout opportunities, bargains and promotions with their communities and earn a commission on referral sales to the Big Lots website.
"Big Lots has built a dedicated and influential following of shoppers who crave the excitement of discovering excellent deals and sharing them with others," said Bruce Thorn, president and CEO of Big Lots. "Introducing this new affiliate program is a natural progression for us in expanding our connections with bargain-savvy creators and publishers, as well as their online communities."
Big Lots filed for bankruptcy protection in early September as part of a deal to to sell “substantially all” of its stores and business operations to private equity firm Nexus Capital Management. It has since received approval to access $550 million of the financing, is offering a new affiliate program.
[READ MORE: Big Lots gets OK to access bankruptcy financing]
The retailer established its new affiliate program in collaboration with partnership management platform Impact.com and aims to build on the success of its current social media influencer and ambassador program.
According to Big Lots, that program has attracted creators who have generated hundreds of new image and video assets and tens of millions of impressions, and the content participating influencers have generated has driven higher site conversion rates, email clickthrough rates and a higher return on ad spend, compared to brand-generated content alone.
"Today's consumer seeks trusted advice and authenticity when shopping for products they want to buy, and we see tremendous potential in Big Lots' new affiliate program to reach new audiences and generate incremental value," said Cristy Garcia, chief marketing officer at Impact.com. "The platform will also offer new opportunities for creators and publishers to earn significant commissions through authentic content shared to their communities, and we look forward to supporting Big Lots' affiliate and creator success through our platform."
