These preferences indicate a compelling opportunity for mobile apps to serve as a hub for loyalty programs as well as pre- and post-purchase customer experiences, from enhanced product support to free returns.
Nike’s free loyalty program incorporates various benefits accessible via its family of apps, ranging from the transactional (free shipping and returns) to more personally engaging, such as access to stylists, wellness-oriented content, and a social community via its running and training clubs. The program resonates especially well with younger consumers—close to a fifth of 18- to 34-year-olds are Nike members, per our August 2022 Bizrate Insights survey.
Mobile apps can tie together consumer purchases and rewards across channels. e.l.f. Cosmetics’ mobile app for its Beauty Squad program incorporates two features: receipt scanning for non-app purchases, to ensure that members can obtain rewards wherever they shop for the brand’s products; and an innovative personalized reward system with options including cash payouts via Venmo or PayPal and gift cards from Chipotle, Amazon, Target, and others.
Although consumers are likely to state a preference for automatically applied rewards, incorporating some elements of choice adds a touchpoint for engagement while yielding better data on customer preferences.