5 Businesses With the Best Loyalty Programs
“To be the best, learn from the best.” This adage is so true in the present age when you can learn many valuable things from the successful players in your industry with the click of a button.
If you want to be successful, you should study successful companies who have been there and done what you want to accomplish. They can provide a wealth of information on all aspects of business. Be it the way they operate, the way they acquire customers, or the way they retain their customers for long.
If you are looking for the best loyalty programs in the world, this blog post is just for you. It lists five businesses with the best loyalty programs in the world. Read on and thank us later.
Amazon Prime
Is it surprising that Amazon Prime is the best loyalty program in the world? It’s the subscription-based loyalty program of US-based e-commerce behemoth Amazon, which is currently the most valuable brand in the world. Launched in 2005, at the initial price point of USD 79 a year, it swiftly went on to become one of the best loyalty programs in the world.
The subscription-based loyalty program now costs USD 119 per year or USD 12.99 per month and it provides a broad array of benefits to Prime members. One of its biggest benefits is the one- or two-day shipping.
Apart from that, Prime members get early access to deals, Amazon Prime’s popular streaming service, and heavy discounts with Amazon partners. With more than 200 million subscribers, Amazon Prime is now the most successful loyalty program in the globe.
My Starbucks Rewards
Did you know that My Starbucks Rewards was the first loyalty program to be made available via a mobile app? It’s not at all surprising why it’s featured in the second position on our list.
Much before My Starbucks Rewards, the global coffee chain behemoth introduced its first reloadable cards in 2001 just around the holiday season. In 2009, it launched its “My Rewards” program, which was a visit-based reward program consisting of three levels—Welcome Level, Green Level, and Gold Level.
In 2012, it modified the reward program a little, and in 2016, it introduced another “My Starbucks Rewards” that awards customers two stars for every dollar spent.
American Airlines’ AAdvantage Program
As per American Airlines, AAdvantage Program is the largest airline loyalty program. Would it still surprise you if you got to know that the program has more than 115 million members?
Not only that, launched on May 1, 1981, it became the second-ever frequent-flyer loyalty program in the world. The program has come a long way since then.
American Airlines has upgraded its AAdvantage Program to include benefits like vacations, hotels, upgrades, and car rentals. The program also generates an average of around USD 2.9 billion each year for the company.
Sephora’s Beauty Insider Program
Sephora, a French multinational retailer of luxury personal care and beauty products, first launched its loyalty program—Sephora’s Beauty Insider Program—in 2007. It provides customers with access to luxury beauty products, they otherwise wouldn’t have been aware of. It soon became an example of an innovative loyalty program at that time. Two years later, it was extended to include a higher tier called “Very Important Beauty Insider”.
Over the years, the loyalty program leveraged non-transactional rewards to create an emotional bond with members. The perks and rewards comprise access to exclusive collections, beauty classes, community events, and more.
The loyalty program now has more than 25 million members and it’s regarded as one of the best customer loyalty programs in the retail industry.
H&M Now
Swedish apparel retailer H&M’s all-digital points-based loyalty program ‘H&M Now’ offers one point for every dollar spent. It has two tiers, which are determined based on the amount spent by members (online and in H&M Store). Customers can collect points for all in-store and online shopping. Customers receive a USD 5 gift voucher for an earning on every 200 points.
H&M Now offers a wide array of benefits that could be useful for a fashion connoisseur. Some of the benefits are free shipping, birthday discounts, customer surprise offers, and access to special- and limited-edition collections.
With more than 100 million members, this is one of the most successful loyalty programs in the fashion industry.
Summing up,
Businesses with the best loyalty programs have one common factor—they are extremely successful and valuable in their respective questions. This may raise the question “Do loyalty programs play a role in a business’s success?” or “Do successful businesses manage to design and create the best loyalty programs?” The answer is both. When you invest in the right loyalty programs, you can see your business scale to new heights. After that, you can fine-tune your programs to keep on moving ahead.
