Chester loyalty scheme with charity element extends after successful trial
Melanie May | 8 June 2018 | News
A community loyalty scheme is to be extended across the whole of CH2, Chester, following a successful trial in Hoole that saw almost 3,000 people sign up, and benefitted local charities.
Loyalty solutions provider Loyalty Pro’s scheme allows customers to use one loyalty card or app for all the participating community retailers, with the aim of bringing traders closer together and boosting the local economy.
Points accrued are converted into instant monetary vouchers redeemable in the store, but customers can also opt to donate excess points to a local registered charity. The Hoole community centre and local hospice Claire House are two that have already benefitted.
As part of Phase 2 of its rollout, Loyalty Pro has also released an update of its app, showing all store locations, points accrued and store offers on an interactive map. The scheme has also been adapted to ensure that small traders without a shopfront, such as local dog groomers, mobile hairdressers and B&Bs, can also participate.
All Hoole Loyalty Scheme registered traders have access to the GDPR-compliant Loyalty Pro portal to send ad hoc direct marketing messages by email, app notification and tablet messages to anyone to has purchased from them.
A survey of the cardholders showed that over 95% of respondents found the Love Hoole scheme easy to use and 75% of people have opted in to receive bi-weekly cardholder emails.
Rob Meakin, Managing Director at Loyalty Pro, said:
“We’ve been greatly encouraged by all the positive feedback we received in Hoole. The survey showed cardholders wanted the scheme to encompass more local businesses over a wider area, and so we’re delighted to be able to offer more retailers and customers the chance to show their support for the community.
“Nobody wants to see rows of empty shops, so communities need to cooperate to ensure their high streets are vibrant. This type of scheme allows retailers to participate without the significant costs of running an individual loyalty scheme. It’s much easier for the customers, as they only need to carry a single card or smartphone, and the charity & not-for-profit element means the local facilities also benefit. It’s a win-win-win.”
Another recent scheme benefitting a local community and its charities is the Lake District Pound. The currency launched on 1 May, and sees people able to spend the Lake District’s own £LD1, £LD5, £LD10 and £LD20 notes in over 200 locally owned businesses and tourist attractions. Every time someone keeps an LD£ as a memento however, proceeds from the unredeemed Sterling are divided between Cumbria Community Foundation and the Lake District Foundation.
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About Melanie May
Melanie May is a journalist and copywriter specialising in writing both for and about the charity and marketing services sectors since 2001. She can be reached via thepurplepim.com.