Loyalty Marketing

Amazon introduced a new way to make Prime accessible to college students.

Gap Inc. is carving out a niche in the increasingly popular monthly subscription box segment.

Retailers are more likely to increase their marketing budgets for Amazon than they are for Google, Bing, Facebook or Twitter.

With a mere six months under its belt, Lids’ new Access Pass loyalty program is driving customer engagement to new levels.   Tired of running a stagnant loyalty program that only engaged a small amount of shoppers regularly, the sporting goods headwear and apparel retailer was ready to change the game. In April, Lids switched from a static points-based program to a digital model designed to “delight” shoppers.  

Following suit of older generations, younger shoppers want to pay for purchases with credit cards.    Specifically, Gen Z (ages 18-24) and Gen Y (ages 25-34) are comfortable using credit to make purchases, and overwhelmingly prefer credit cards to monthly payment options, according to new data from Vyze, a provider of cloud-based financial technology solutions.   

Toys "R" Us is doubling down on its new brand positioning, “Today We Play.”   The retailer announced it has begun testing an augmented reality app, called Play Chaser, in 23 stores nationwide, with a chainwide roll-out planned for Oct. 21. Developed in partnership with PlayFusion, the free app allows users to activate different AR mini games and play experiences on their smart device while in Toys "R" Us stores.   

Dollar General wants to make it easier for its employees to pursue higher education.   In a newly announced partnership with Bellevue University, all full-time and part-time Dollar General employees now qualify for $8,000 and $5,250 respectively in tuition assistance after working at Dollar General for a minimum of 30 days. Plus, immediate family members of employees are eligible for up to $2,625, as well.  

Unfazed by store closures, shoppers plan to get most of their holiday shopping done in-store this year.    Nearly three-quarters of consumers (71%) plan to do the majority of their holiday shopping in physical stores — the same percentage from a similar poll a year ago. Additionally, the vast majority (88%) plan to at least visit stores this holiday season.  

Macy's is overhauling its loyalty program, putting a new focus on its best customers.   The department store retailer is revamping its Star Rewards program with a tiered rewards system that gives its very best shoppers (those who spend $1,200 or more annually) such perks as free shipping, additional savings and earned points on every purchase.  

American Eagle Outfitters has gone omnichannel with its loyalty program.   The teen apparel retailer announced the launch of AEO Connected, a highly digitized loyalty program for its American Eagle and Aerie customers. Over 16 million current rewards members were immediately converted to AEO Connected.