It did not take long for the program to catch on almost everywhere. Once it started and became a success everybody wanted in and it was an easy program to start, even if you did not know what it was about. Printing on plastic cards was being done in more places than ever and if you needed a set for your retail outlet it was an easy thing to get and start.
The strategy they found was to reward their customers with discounts for showing their loyalty to that particular chain of stores. They would give them a plastic card for them to carry around in their wallet or purse and they would scan it every time they came in to shop. With every purchase earning them a certain number of points all saved to the account represented by the card.
Of course the stores did not like these ideas so they needed a way to combat this. What they did was they figured they would reward loyalty by giving people points and rewards or coupons for that loyalty. They would facilitate this by using little credit card like cards that a customer could scan before checking out, thus starting their discount prices.
These programs worked wonders and people were coming back to the stores in record numbers. Of course whenever something works well in one place, people notice. That is precisely what happened because it did not take long for other retail stores to notice what was happening and want in. So they found ways to get their own cards and start their own programs.
This feeling of belonging was just what they needed. With a renewed outlook on the stores they visited and a chance to save extra money without having to go through the hassle of clipping coupons and carrying them around, people loved it and it showed in the sales. People were starting to come back to the single stores again.
It was perfect because now it was always with the consumer no matter where they went and it acted like a moving billboard for the retail location. Everywhere the consumer was and had their key chain out on a table or in their hands, people could see and read the card that was hanging from it. They could see that their friend shopped at a particular store.
Of course doing this required new machines because the regular paper and card stock printers would not work with the plastic, and special ink and laminates would be needed also. After about 5 years of this program starting out at a single grocery store you had a completely new industry that was making a profit.
People wanted to get their cards as soon as they could. Printing on plastic cards and putting rewards programs along with them gave retail outlets the needed boost they were looking for. After everyone else got into the act it was easy to see that it was working. People were even starting to find new and unique ways to use these cards for their businesses.
The strategy they found was to reward their customers with discounts for showing their loyalty to that particular chain of stores. They would give them a plastic card for them to carry around in their wallet or purse and they would scan it every time they came in to shop. With every purchase earning them a certain number of points all saved to the account represented by the card.
Of course the stores did not like these ideas so they needed a way to combat this. What they did was they figured they would reward loyalty by giving people points and rewards or coupons for that loyalty. They would facilitate this by using little credit card like cards that a customer could scan before checking out, thus starting their discount prices.
These programs worked wonders and people were coming back to the stores in record numbers. Of course whenever something works well in one place, people notice. That is precisely what happened because it did not take long for other retail stores to notice what was happening and want in. So they found ways to get their own cards and start their own programs.
This feeling of belonging was just what they needed. With a renewed outlook on the stores they visited and a chance to save extra money without having to go through the hassle of clipping coupons and carrying them around, people loved it and it showed in the sales. People were starting to come back to the single stores again.
It was perfect because now it was always with the consumer no matter where they went and it acted like a moving billboard for the retail location. Everywhere the consumer was and had their key chain out on a table or in their hands, people could see and read the card that was hanging from it. They could see that their friend shopped at a particular store.
Of course doing this required new machines because the regular paper and card stock printers would not work with the plastic, and special ink and laminates would be needed also. After about 5 years of this program starting out at a single grocery store you had a completely new industry that was making a profit.
People wanted to get their cards as soon as they could. Printing on plastic cards and putting rewards programs along with them gave retail outlets the needed boost they were looking for. After everyone else got into the act it was easy to see that it was working. People were even starting to find new and unique ways to use these cards for their businesses.
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