Harvey Nichols has today launched a new loyalty app and programme which promises to reward customers for each and every pound spent.
The programme offers 1 point for every pound spent in the UK, in store or online, and in any UK Harvey Nichols bar or restaurant, which includes its OXO Tower restaurant.
The programme is open to all customers and benefits are available from the day of launch. The more purchases a customer makes, the further they climb up the points ladder unlocking rewards from a simple smoothie to Botox or a champagne dinner for four at OXO Tower. The programme offers indulgent experiences in addition to vouchers to spend in store four times a year.
To challenge established retail thinking and practice, the luxury department store retailer chose to develop an app over a traditional card. Smartphone penetration will reach 90% in the UK in 2015 according to Forrester and the brand‘s own customer research has shown that over 80% of their customers preferred an app rather than another card in their wallet.
Shadi Halliwell, Group Marketing and Creative Director, Harvey Nichols explains:
“To truly reward a customer for their loyalty a brand needs to know their customer inside out and offer a range of relevant and personal rewards, from experiences to gift vouchers and surprises in-between. We want to give our customers more than just pennies for points. Rewards by Harvey Nichols is uniquely different to competitors‘ loyalty schemes, firstly because it‘s an app, which we believe is the future of communication with our customers-instant, personalised and modern – and secondly it offers brilliant and indulgent experiences which will help our customers be fearlessly stylish.”
Four different customer tiers are available: silver, gold, platinum and black. A customer is assigned instantly to a tier, according to their spend.
Rewards are issued to customers four times a year based on the previous quarter‘s points total and customers are allocated one choice of reward per quarter with the first rewards to be issued in September.
In addition to rewards, every tier comes with its own unique set of customer benefits, from gift wrapping, to express alterations and even at-home styling. In addition, loyal customers will be surprised with treats throughout the year, including discount days, double points days, secret sales and sale previews, as well as exclusive event invitations.
Rewards by Harvey Nichols was designed in collaborations with the digital product design studio, ustwo.
Scott Ewings, Head of London studio at ustwo said:
“Our research told us that plastic loyalty cards, jammed into a bursting wallet, are no longer what customers want. They don’t reflect the premium nature of a brand like Harvey Nichols – but we knew we could communicate this effectively with a mobile app. And this is just the beginning – launching the app will allow us to gather feedback and use these insights to rapidly evolve the product, ensuring that the programme is loved and that Harvey Nichols has a hand in inspiring the style of a whole new range of customers.”
