THE CARD THAT CLICKS WITH CUSTOMERS
Simplicity, accessibility, value and personalisation keep ClubCard members happy
The importance of value and saving as a loyalty benefit has become more pronounced, especially as times remain tough economically
DR MELANIE VAN ROOY Head of marketing at Clicks Group
Clicks ClubCard has long been one of the most used loyalty programmes in South Africa, with more than 11million active members. It’s also one of the most generous retail loyalty programmes in the country, giving back more than R700m to consumers in the past year alone. The success of the programme, says Melanie van Rooy, head of marketing at Clicks Group, is its simplicity, accessibility, value and differentiated position. ClubCard members can earn cashback at a wide network of health, beauty, wellness and lifestyle partners including Engen, eBucks, Discovery, ARC and Sorbet.
Van Rooy says ClubCard plays an important role in growing customer loyalty and sales. This is evidenced by the fact that the average basket value of ClubCard member is typically 85% higher than a nonloyalty member, with more than 80% of sales contributed by ClubCard members.
Given constrained household budgets amid a low growth economy, most members of loyalty and rewards programmes are aiming to ensure their money goes further. ClubCard members are no exception. Van Rooy says redemption behaviour has changed, with lower spend and cash-strapped customers redeeming their cashback fully as soon as it is loaded onto their cards.
“The importance of value and saving as a loyalty benefit has become more pronounced, especially as times remain tough economically,” she says.
Research by McKinsey reveals that nearly three-quarters of consumers expect companies to deliver personalised interactions. Key to the success of a personalised customer experience is for brands to recognise that each customer is unique and to spend time understanding their behaviour and buying habits. For Clicks, personalisation is a continual journey of improvement, says Van Rooy.
“Clicks has adopted an integrated approach to its customer strategy, encompassing personalisation, loyalty and customer experience premised on deep customer data analytics. It’s a strategy which aims to leverage customer insights across the entire organisation, aligning campaigns with specific objectives for each customer segment.”
The rich level of customer data and insights revealed by the programme, she says, has enabled Clicks to enhance its engagement with customers, understand their behaviour at a granular level, and optimise and personalise the programme’s offerings and communication across the omnichannel to enhance consumers’ shopping experience and deliver more value to them.