One problem with loyalty marketing, it is hard to get people motivated if they feel its unlikely they will come back to your shop. An example happened to me when I went to the USA. The salesman in a shop told me that I could get a store card and collect points and get some benefits. I laughed and said that I was a tourist, and am unlikely to come back so their offer is of little interest to me.
So what can be done to make their offer attractive to people like me without costing the retailer a lot of money in something like a discount voucher?
Here is an idea, offer these people a chance to donate the points on the current purchase to charity. It is not like it is going to cost them anything and it will feel that by giving these points to a charity they are doing something good. People that think they are doing something right do tend to buy more according to several studies.
A simple way of doing it is to make a hamper of some goods from the shop when the points collected to reach a specific figure donate this hamper to a charity. I helpful chart showing how close the basket is to being redeemed helps too. It all very easy to manage with our POS Software.
If you are going to do something like this, I recommend that you select a local uncontroversial charity, eg something like a charity for multiple sclerosis, heart, kids, suicide prevention etc. Avoid anything that is the slightiest bit controversial. It will only get you in trouble. One of my clients adopted an overseas school. A good client saw the sign and screamed very emotionally and loudly so everyone could hear him when the shop was full of people that he was there recently, it is all corrupt there, the government sucks, none of your money is going to get to the school, and it may end out supporting terrorism.
I am sure that you will get a big thrill out of taking to the hamper to the charity and make sure that you get a lovely photo while you are there to display at your shop and facebook page.
