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Malls loyalty programs
Retailers have been successfully working with a lot of loyalty programs and other reward systems. As for malls, such programs have not been that common, though market leaders considered them. The stage is set and the situation is bound to change, especially taking into account all the recent talks about shopping centers of the future being a hotspot and a place for local communities. A loyalty program in most cases is not about points, but a signal that you belong to a club. SCRussia is going to tell you how Russian and foreign malls work with loyalty.
Mega-friend
Russian shopping centers follow an unspoken rule — all eyes are on MEGA as a trendsetter in many ways. Last year MEGA malls introduced a loyalty program and an app called MEGA Friends. In addition, they offer a credit card which can acquire points. During a trial in Kazan and Nizhny Novgorod 33K customers enrolled in four months. Within a year the program progressed so much that it won Loyalty Awards Russia 2020 for Best Bank/Mall Cobranding Card.
The program has a motto “more than just points” and it aims at uniting mall customers into a community. There are perks, of course: up to 20% of a receipt can be returned as points, which can be exchanged for gifts, services and discounts. Besides, the participants get access to free hobby clubs, lectures and master classes. In addition, MEGA Malls create special zones only for the members of the club, where they install coworking spaces, lounge areas, as well as offer free tea and coffee. Based on the amount of points you have gained, you are either a “good friend”, a “close friend” or a “best friend”, and the difference is about the privilege level.
On the other hand, MEGA also offers a credit card (a rebranded MEGACARD, which now serves as a MEGA Friends card too). When paying by card, a customer receives 5% rewards points of the total purchase from every tenant and 1% from any shop worldwide including online shops. Besides, they give 8% reward points to the balance of the card. All the points can be either exchanged for offers from the catalogue Only for friends or used to pay for the shopping in partner shops. The card is issued by Ikano Bank.