Loyalty programs are designed to drive repeat business by — shocker! — rewarding loyalty to your business. Our local thrift scene has a few great examples of loyalty programs and loyalty cards, and I think it’s useful to not just know where they are available, but also what the key differences are.
My first-ever loyalty card was given to me at the Goodwill Store on Princess Street. What I wasn’t aware of, though, is that the card can be used at all Canadian Goodwill stores, which makes reaching your reward super easy.
Here’s how it works: Simply request your “Frequent Shoppers Card” and present it every time you spend at least $5.00 at a Canadian Goodwill store, and you receive one stamp on your card. Fill your card with ten stamps and you receive $5.00 off your next purchase.
One important detail to note here is that the card states you can only receive one stamp per visit, so whether you spend $5.00 or $50.00, both purchases only earn you one stamp.
An additional perk of collecting ten stamps is that you are entered into a monthly draw for a $25.00 gift card. And let’s face it: if you’re on a site called Winnipeg Thrift, you will have no problem quickly collecting your ten stamps.
Mission Thrift Store also offers a loyalty card, and while the idea behind earning rewards is similar, there is one key difference which, I think, makes this card the best loyalty program in Winnipeg.
With Mission Thrift’s card, you also earn stamps for purchases, but here the qualifying amount is $10. Unlike Goodwill’s card, however, you earn a stamp for every $10 spent. So if you spend $50 in one visit (which, believe me, isn’t hard), you receive five stamps and are already halfway to earning your reward of $10 off your next purchase.
What this means, effectively, is that you receive $10 off for every $100 spent at Mission Thrift. This is a very generous offer.
Value Village also offers a loyalty rewards program with its “Super Savers Club.” Their program isn’t quite as clear-cut, though, as purchases are rewarded with Flexpoints, which can then be redeemed for discounts. Basically, every dollar spent at Value Village earns you one Flexpoint. For every 100 Flexpoints, you get $1 off.
Quickly doing the math shows that you need to spend $100 to get $1 off. Compare that to $10 off for only $100 spent at Mission Thrift, and you start to appreciate the latter’s offer even more.
Don’t get me wrong, though — any reward for something we are doing anyway is a win in my books. The Super Savers Club comes with a few additional perks, too. You receive a 20% off coupon on your birthday, which you can use toward a purchase of up to $50. You also receive exclusive email offers, and you can even unlock additional perks, such as a free reusable tote bag, for accumulating Flexpoints.
Another nice thing about Value Village’s program is that it’s digital, so you never have to worry about forgetting your loyalty card.
Did I forget to mention any local loyalty programs? Do you use any of these programs, and if so, which is your favourite? I’d love to hear from you: info@winnipegthrift.com.