Latest news with #loyaltyprogram
Yahoo
8 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Shake Shack to introduce first loyalty programme
US-based fast-casual restaurant chain Shake Shack is set to enhance customer engagement through its first loyalty programme and exclusive app offers. From 28 May 2025, the chain introduced a $1 soda offer for app users, described as a "Shake Hack" with more to follow. The initiative, aimed at driving traffic and building loyalty, will be complemented by the launch of a loyalty feature called "Challenges" on 5 June, accessible via Shake Shack's app and website. Bloomberg reports that the decision follows a successful earlier trial, which indicated that such loyalty offerings could significantly increase customer visit frequency. Shake Shack chief growth officer Steph So described the strategy as intended to encourage repeat visits and incentivise app downloads and sustained usage. The soda deal will not only draw customers in but also prompt them to purchase additional items, such as milkshakes, potentially leading to larger transactions and increased overall profits. Under the leadership of CEO Rob Lynch, Shake Shack plans to grow from 333 company-operated US locations to 1,500. The chain opened a record 76 restaurants in the fiscal year 2024, with 43 company-operated, and is targeting suburban areas for further development, including more drive-throughs. Shake Shack plans to open 80 to 85 new company-operated restaurants in the second half of 2025. The brand reported first-quarter revenues of $320.9m for 2024, a 10.5% increase year-on-year, with comparable sales slightly up by 0.2%. In a 1 May 2025 shareholder letter, the company stated: 'Despite macro uncertainties, we remain focused on creating durable value for all our stakeholders through initiatives to drive same-Shack sales, including strengthening our culinary and calendar strategy and driving frequency,' In a recent move to broaden its reach, Shake Shack has entered a licensing partnership with PENN Entertainment, bringing the Shake Shack burger brand to ten of PENN's casino locations across the US. "Shake Shack to introduce first loyalty programme" was originally created and published by Verdict Food Service, a GlobalData owned brand. The information on this site has been included in good faith for general informational purposes only. It is not intended to amount to advice on which you should rely, and we give no representation, warranty or guarantee, whether express or implied as to its accuracy or completeness. You must obtain professional or specialist advice before taking, or refraining from, any action on the basis of the content on our site. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Fast Company
a day ago
- Business
- Fast Company
15 tips for launching a customer loyalty program
For businesses, loyalty programs are a great way to encourage repeat purchases and strengthen customer relationships. Yet, launching a successful one takes more than offering discounts or points. The best programs are designed with the customer in mind—what they value, how they interact with your brand, and what makes them feel genuinely appreciated. To help, 15 members of Fast Company Executive Board discuss what it takes to build a loyalty program that drives not only sales, but genuine customer engagement. 1. PERSONALIZE REWARDS WITH EMAIL ADDRESS INTELLIGENCE. Points and one-size-fits-all programs don't build loyalty. Customers need to feel seen. This level of personalization requires visibility into who customers are, how they behave, and what they value. Email address intelligence helps this, revealing real, active identities so you can act on what matters to them. Without it, you're guessing who deserves what, or possibly rewarding fraud. – Tom Burke, AtData 2. FOCUS ON EMOTIONAL CONNECTION, NOT JUST TRANSACTIONS. Make your brand unforgettable in your customer's life. Don't just focus on driving transactions—build emotional connections. Celebrate unexpected milestones that your customers didn't even know they were working towards. Create personal, meaningful experiences, and reward loyalty in ways that show you truly know them. – Andrew Graff, A&G (Allen & Gerritsen) 3. CONSIDER THE CUSTOMER'S SIDE OF THE INTERACTION. Think about how it feels for your customer. Will they find the rewards you offer and the commitment you ask of them to be a good value exchange? Too many loyalty programs make perfect sense for the vendor and ask too much of the customer. This means that in the end, it won't work out for you either. – Arar Han, Sabot Family Companies 4. USE TAILORED REWARDS AND GAMIFICATION TO INCREASE PARTICIPATION. To build a loyalty program that drives real engagement, go beyond generic rewards. Align incentives with what your customers truly value. In logistics, we offer shower credits—more meaningful than cash. Tailored rewards create stronger loyalty. Add gamification elements to boost participation and make the program more interactive and sticky. – Mohan Kumar, AtoB 5. TURN ORDINARY INTERACTIONS INTO MOMENTS OF AFFIRMATION. A great loyalty program isn't about points. It's about emotion. The most successful loyalty programs recognize and reward you in a way that serves an emotional need for people. They turn ordinary shopping interactions into moments of affirmation, making customers feel seen, understood, and valued. Design a loyalty program like that, and your most valuable customers will love your brand forever. – Barry Fiske, Merkle 6. RESEARCH CUSTOMER PREFERENCES TO ENSURE REWARDS ARE MEANINGFUL. Make sure the rewards are meaningful to your target audience. A loyalty program only works if it aligns with what your customers truly value. Conduct research beforehand to understand their preferences—whether it's discounts, exclusive access, or early product drops—and keep the program simple and easy to use. – Maria Alonso, Fortune 206 7. REWARD BRAND ENGAGEMENT TO MAKE LOYALTY A HABIT. Design your loyalty program like a two-way relationship, not a one-time transaction. The best programs reward spending and engagement, such as referrals, feedback, or education. When customers feel seen and valued beyond their wallet, loyalty becomes a habit rather than an obligation. – Albert Lie, Forward Labs 8. OFFER A RANGE OF REWARDS TO INCREASE VALUE. Offer a mix of rewards—for example, discounts, free products, exclusive access, and early-bird specials—to cater to different preferences. To enhance the customer experience and make them feel valued, give out special rewards like members-only events or sneak peeks of new products. Consider cross-promotions with complementary businesses to increase the value of the rewards program. – Britton Bloch, Navy Federal Credit Union 9. KEEP IT SIMPLE, RELEVANT, AND RESONANT. When launching a loyalty program, focus on delivering real value. Align rewards with what your customers truly want, personalize incentives based on behaviors, and make enrollment effortless. Simplicity, relevance, and emotional connection are key to building long-term loyalty and engagement. – Scott Keever, Keever SEO 10. AVOID TRAPS AND OVERCOMPLICATED PROGRAMS. First, avoid setting traps—for example, other than points, requiring additional fees to redeem rewards. Second, ensure high quality of the rewards. Do not use unsellable or expired products as rewards. Third, don't overuse the program to excessively promote other products. Finally, don't make the program too complex for customers to understand the direct benefits of their actions. – Chongwei Chen, DataNumen Inc. 11. MAKE THE PROGRAM A NATURAL EXTENSION OF YOUR BRAND. Focus on alignment over generic offers. Ensure the rewards reflect what your customers genuinely value—exclusive access, unique experiences, or curated product perks. A well-designed program should feel like a natural extension of your brand, not just a discount engine. – Kristin Marquet, Marquet Media, LLC 12. DON'T TRY TO BUY LOYALTY. Earn loyalty. Don't buy it. Transactional loyalty is transparently obvious. The reward-based exchanges you broker will either build relationships or break them down. Understand that your intentions are more apparent than you think. – Jay Steven Levin, WinThinking 13. TIE BENEFITS TO BEHAVIORS THAT ALIGN WITH BUSINESS GOALS. When launching a loyalty program, focus on creating real value for the customer. Make it simple to join, easy to understand, and genuinely rewarding. Tie benefits to behaviors that align with your business goals and ensure it feels personalized—loyalty is earned through relevance, not gimmicks. – Stephen Nalley, Black Briar Advisors 14. FOCUS ON WHAT YOUR CUSTOMER IS TRYING TO ACHIEVE. Make it truly valuable. Don't just gamify, personalize it. At LambdaTest, we were focused on what the customer was trying to achieve and aligned our rewards to speed that outcome up. It has to feel like a thank-you gift, not a marketing tool. – Asad Khan, LambdaTest Inc. 15. REMEMBER TO 'TEND' YOUR PROGRAM CONTINUOUSLY. Loyalty programs are designed to retain revenue and work on growing the share of spend; they are not acquisition tools. A program is not a project, it is a product. It lives and breathes and must adapt and grow. It needs an owner, a gardener. You don't build it and forget it. Finally, it is not a marketing function; it's an enterprise function with a leader who has a seat at the strategy table. – Maury Giles, Material
The Sun
a day ago
- Business
- The Sun
Two major airlines teaming up to combine their loyalty programs & travellers to enjoy four perks
TWO major airlines have announced they are teaming up to combine their loyalty programs and travellers can enjoy four perks. The new and unique collaboration also gives customers of both airlines even more options to find flights that fit their plans. 2 2 JetBlue, New York's Hometown Airline and United, the largest airline in the world have revealed Blue Sky which is a unique consumer collaboration that links the two companies loyalty programs. Blue Sky will give customers new opportunities to earn and use MileagePlus® miles and TrueBlue points across both airlines. MileagePlus customers can earn and use miles on JetBlue including hundreds of flights in and out of New York City and Boston. While TrueBlue members will be able to earn and use points on United flights including to popular international destinations like Cape Town and Tahiti. Benefits of each airline's loyalty program like priority boarding, complimentary access to preferred and extra legroom seats, and same-day standby/switch will be available across both airlines Airlines will also offer flights on one another's website and app to make booking simple and easy JetBlue will provide United access to slots at JFK International Airport for up to seven daily round-trip flights beginning in 2027. United will also move some of its holiday and travel services to JetBlue's Paisly platform. Blue Sky Benefits The new loyalty program Blue Sky includes the following components, with some starting as early as this fall: United's MileagePlus customers can earn and use miles on most JetBlue flights. Each airline will offer flights on one another's website and app to make booking across the two airlines' complementary networks simple and easy. The benefits of each airline's loyalty program - priority boarding, complimentary access to preferred and extra legroom seats and same-day standby/switch - will be available when customers travel on the other airline's aircraft. As part of the airlines' agreement, JetBlue will provide United access to slots at JFK International Airport for up to seven daily round-trip flights out of JFK Terminal 6 to begin as early as 2027. As part of a net-neutral exchange, JetBlue and United will exchange eight flight timings at Newark. United will move its website and mobile app's ability to sell hotels, rental cars, cruises and travel insurance, on both a stand-alone and package basis, to new technology and services provided by JetBlue's Paisly platform. Major airline introduces strict new luggage ban forcing travelers to keep item in 'plain sight' As part of Blue Sky, members of each airline's loyalty program will find similar benefits over time. As well as reciprocal revenue-based miles and points accrual and reciprocal miles and points redemption - when they use and earn miles or points on the partner airline. Timing for reciprocal benefits for customers will be announced later this year. Whether customers are flying on United or JetBlue in the future, they will receive benefits in line with what they receive today, including: Priority treatment for check-in, boarding, security and baggage Access to preferred and extra leg room seats Free first checked bag Same-day changes and switches Additionally, business travelers and their employers will see benefits from the collaboration as well. While United and JetBlue will continue to manage their commercial relationship independently, both airlines may extend the terms of parts of their corporate programs to the flights operated by the other airline. Meanwhile, a major airline has announced that US flyers face an instant $67 fine if they take part in common airplane habit. And the real 'golden window' to book the cheapest flights is revealed as experts debunk a myth about day of the week hack. Plus TSA has warned travelers of a carry-on rule that could spark major delays – it's all down to how you pack the 'saucy' item.
CNET
a day ago
- Business
- CNET
Target Circle Memberships: A Complete Roundup of All Perks and Benefits
If you're finding yourself at Target more often than you'd care to admit, then you should consider enrolling in Target Circle. It's the retailer's loyalty and savings program that consists of discounts, expedited shipping and cash back. Target gave the program a serious refresh in 2024, rolling out a three-tier system that ranges from totally free to a paid premium option. With another Circle Week event likely coming this July, it's a good excuse to sign up or upgrade and start cashing in on the perks. Here's a quick breakdown of what Target Circle is all about, how it works and which membership level might be the best fit for you. For more shopping tips, explore how to keep your packages safe from porch pirates and eight tips to score the best deals at Amazon. What is Target Circle? CNET Target Circle is Target's free-to-join rewards program that lets you rack up savings and earn cash back from your shopping. Every time you buy something, you earn 1% back to use on a future purchase. (That's unless you're using the Target Circle Card… more on that in a second.) You'll also get access to exclusive deals and personalized offers that non-members don't see. A breakdown of the membership tiers Target now offers three ways to be part of Circle and here's how they compare: Target Circle (free): This base-level membership still gets you plenty of love. This tier includes auto-applied discounts at checkout, custom deals based on your shopping habits and the ability to earn rewards with every dollar spent. Target Circle Card: Formerly known as the RedCard, this credit or debit card version offers 5% off every purchase, even on top of existing Circle deals. Cardholders also get extra perks like extended return windows, free two-day shipping and discounted access to the paid membership tier. Target Circle 360 ($99 a year): If you're a regular Target shopper or love having things delivered, Circle 360 could be worth it. It includes unlimited same-day delivery in as little as an hour, zero delivery fees or markups, and access to the Shipt Marketplace, where you can get same-day delivery from over 100 retailers nationwide. Plus, you still get all the benefits of the free Circle membership. What you get with a free Target Circle membership Even if you stick with the no-cost version, you'll unlock a surprising number of perks: 1% back on all Target purchases (redeemable later) Birthday reward of 5% off one purchase Category-specific coupons, such as 20% off baby clothes or 10% off beauty products Bonus offers, such as "Spend $60 twice, get $10 back" Auto-applied discounts during Circle Week You can use up to 75 offers at one time. Note that all Target offers and earnings have an expiration date, so make sure you use them before the window lapses. How to sign up for Target Circle Joining can be completed in just a few minutes. Just head to hit "Create account," and then enter your email, name, phone number and a password. That's it. Customers can sign up for Target Circle in just a few steps. Target How to use your Target Circle perks and rewards Using your offers and rewards is simple. Just activate any deals you want in your Target Circle dashboard or app before you shop. In-store: Enter your phone number at checkout or scan your barcode from the app. (If you forget, you can enter your receipt details on the Target Circle dashboard or scan your receipt's barcode using the app.) Online: Make sure you're signed into your account and your offers will be applied automatically in your cart. How to redeem your Target Circle earnings That 1% cash back? It's yours to use however and whenever you want and there's no minimum required. In-store: Go to the Wallet section in the Target app or your account online. Toggle the switch next to Target Circle earnings to check how many earnings you have to apply to your purchase. You can then apply your Target Circle earnings by selecting the amount you want to use and clicking "save." Online: Just check the box to apply your balance during checkout. Just remember that your earnings expire after a year. Bonus tip: You can even use your rewards at the Starbucks inside Target. (Yes, that latte can basically be free.) For more shopping tips, check out these Amazon Prime perks beyond free shipping and how to return Amazon products without a fee.
Travel Weekly
2 days ago
- Business
- Travel Weekly
JetBlue and United aim to take flight together with Blue Sky partnership
United and JetBlue will become partners. And United will be returning to New York JFK. Under an agreement announced Thursday, the two carriers will offer reciprocal loyalty point accrual and redemption, as well as reciprocal loyalty status privileges, such as early boarding, upgrades and free bags. Flyers will also be able to book United flights through JetBlue channels and vice versa. And JetBlue will trade arrival and departure trade slots at capacity-constrained JFK to United in exchange for increased access at Newark. United expects to begin flying up to seven daily roundtrips out of JFK in 2027, ending a hiatus that began in 2015, when United moved its entire New York metroplex long-haul operation to Newark. JetBlue expects to gain eight additional daily flights at Newark. The carriers have not announced a launch date for the partnership, which they are calling Blue Sky, but said some components could begin as soon as the fall. The tie-up, which had been widely anticipated by airline industry insiders, will give JetBlue customers access to more than 200 additional destinations around the globe, the airlines said. JetBlue has been struggling to achieve sustainable profitability in recent years, and they hope the United partnership helps turn the tide. The partnership will replace, on a more limited basis, JetBlue's brief Northeast Alliance with American Airlines in Boston and the New York area, which was blocked by antitrust regulators at the Justice Department in 2023. Along with offering United its sought-after re-entry into JFK, the partnership will give United customers access to JetBlue's network of approximately 180 daily JFK flights and approximately 130 Boston flights, including JetBlue's extensive Caribbean network. Importantly, and in a clear effort to avoid running afoul of antitrust regulators, the arrangement doesn't involve codesharing. Instead, the carriers will rely on an interline agreement for cross-airline traffic, meaning United and JetBlue will continue to publish and market flights separately under their own brand and flight numbers. There will be no revenue sharing or joint scheduling. In the ruling that ended the JetBlue-American Northeast Alliance, U.S. District Judge Leo Sorokin objected to the breadth of that alliance, which included codesharing, extensive revenue sharing and joint scheduling of most flights out of New York and Boston. Sorokin also said that a more limited partnership might have been allowable. Regulators, nevertheless, will have reason to review the United-JetBlue partnership for competitive concerns. United flew the most combined seats out of the New York area in 2024 ,and JetBlue flew the third most, Cirium flight schedule data shows. Along with interlining and reciprocal loyalty and booking, the Blue Sky partnership will impact United's holiday package offering. United, which currently sends customers to a hodgepodge of different websites to book car rentals, cruises, hotels and vacation packages, will begin using the more sophisticated Paisley platform that JetBlue has built for its package offerings. Paisley technology will enable United to keep its package offerings within the website and app, and to better integrate those offerings with the Mileage Plus program while enhancing customer service, the airline said. The partnership will touch upon both airlines' corporate travel programs. The carriers will continue to manage their corporate programs independently, but they'll have the ability to extend the terms of their corporate programs to flights operated by the other airline. "This includes the discounts each airline has independently negotiated," the airlines said.
