Content about Microeconomics

MINNEAPOLIS — Contradicting claims that showrooming undermines retail sales, new survey results from loyalty management company Aimia revealed that showroomers exhibit more loyal behavior than nonshowroomers, making them an ideal target for retailers.

Retail showroomers, who browse for items in-store before using their smartphones to find a lower price online, also were found to be active participants in loyalty and reward programs, according to the "Through the Looking Glass" retail brief released on Tuesday.

DEERFIELD, Ill. — Walgreens over the weekend officially launched its customer loyalty program, which since Sept. 6 has garnered more than 1 million customers during an online-only, early-enrollment period.

“Our loyalty program is distinctive,” stated Graham Atkinson, Walgreens SVP and chief customer experience officer. “This comprehensive rewards program is one of Walgreens largest and most important programs in company history."

Balance Rewards offers three key benefits, all customized for the consumer:

PURCHASE, N.Y. — Stop & Shop has expanded its gas rewards programs to customers in New Jersey.

NEW YORK — A new network allows customers to use tablets to participate in customer loyalty programs, according to published reports.

MediaPost reported that SpotOn, a San Rafael, Calif.-based company that develops customer loyalty platforms, rolled out its network Friday, with about 1,500 independent and regional chain retailers; the network had previously been under development for more than a year. Most of the retailers are in the Atlanta area, Texas, Arizona, California and the Midwest, but that it's adding about 500 new ones per month.

In 2006, Time magazine added a twist to its annual “Person of the Year” cover story, replacing the usual picture of some prominent individual with a picture of a glossy computer screen to show that social networking had made “you” the person of the year. Now, the idea that it’s all about “you” has percolated into retail. 


CAMBRIDGE, Mass. — Cambridge Consultants on Thursday released a report outlining how the health-and-wellness market may take shape as more consumer-friendly medical devices featuring the latest in technology reach the market.

“Disruption in this market will come from medical firms moving from 10-year product lifecycles and confronting the 18-month lifecycles of the consumer world, and from consumer companies adapting to the rigorous processes demanded by medical regulations,” stated Duncan Smith, head of product development at Cambridge Consultants.

CAMP HILL, Pa. — Rite Aid's customer loyalty card program has received recognition from a trade organization that focuses on marketing practices that use technology, Rite Aid said Friday.

The retail pharmacy chain announced that it received the 2011 LEADER Award in the loyalty category from the Shopper Technology Institute for its Wellness+ program. The institute presents the LEADER Awards for Excellence, sponsored by IBM, at its LEAD Marketing Conference. The award's name is an acronym for loyalty, engagement analytics and digital applications.

CHICAGO — Through a partnership with Incentive Targeting and HaloEffect, Big Y Foods will become the first grocery retailer to offer Groupon deals digitally loaded to shoppers’ loyalty cards, the companies announced.

Big Y’s first Groupon offer, distributed among Springfield, Mass., subscribers on June 7, was for a newly introduced Shellfish Grill Pack, including lobster tails, mussels, clams and other seafood suitable for grilling, which retails at $39.99 and is being offered at a 40% discount for $24.

NEW YORK — A report released Tuesday by payment system provider ACI Worldwide found that many retail loyalty programs leave consumers feeling underappreciated, and many consumers are enrolled in a program they don’t completely understand.

Although 3-out-of-4 Americans are members of at least one retail loyalty card program, 85% of those surveyed said that they haven’t heard a single word from a loyalty program since the day they signed up. Likewise, 81% said they don’t even know the benefits of the program or how/when they will receive rewards.

BROOMFIELD, Colo. LifeNexus recently introduced its personal health card, a dual-purpose payment/loyalty card that comes equipped with an embedded microprocessor, the iChip, designed for an individually controlled health platform.

The personal health card can be used to maintain personal health records by securely transferring accurate information at the time and point of need. This will allow professionals access to a patient’s personal health record through card-based consumer authorization, which is both encrypted and password-protected.