Latest news with #loyaltyreward
News.com.au
a day ago
- Business
- News.com.au
Virgin Australia to bring back pop-up Velocity 1 Point store across three Aussie cities
Virgin Australia is bringing back its Velocity Frequent Flyers 1 Point Rewards Store in three Aussie cities. The airline announced it would be bringing back its loyalty reward program after its sellout debut on Chapel St in Melbourne in 2023. For one day only, Velocity members will be able to redeem items such Bose, Dyson and GHD hair products, designer perfumes, Virgin Australia flights and Lounge access for one Velocity Point. It will first hit Sydney's Pitt St on Friday, August 22 between 8am and 9am, with dates and locations for Melbourne and Brisbane still to be announced. From 8am on August 22, members will be able to redeem one reward per member, per location. Upon claiming a reward, one point will be deducted from the Velocity member account in-store. Members must have the app downloaded and one point in their Velocity account to be eligible. The pop-up shops will feature a mystery prize carousel and claw machines, with Virgin Australia crew on the scene to help. Velocity Frequent Flyer chief executive Nick Rohrlach said it was easier than ever to earn points in every day life. 'Velocity is all about getting our members to rewards faster and the 1 Point Rewards Store puts the spotlight on that. With Velocity, earning Points is easy and fast,' he said 'You don't need to spend big or wait long for your next reward – spending daily on things like your morning coffee, a tank of fuel, weekly grocery shop or mobile phone bill could get you there in no time.'
The Guardian
3 days ago
- Business
- The Guardian
Iceland says it will pay customers £1 if they report a shoplifter
The grocery chain Iceland is offering customers who shop a thief a £1 reward on their loyalty card. The frozen food specialist said that anyone who spots a suspected shoplifter in its stores should inform the nearest Iceland employee who will verify the incident before adding the reward to the individual's loyalty card for immediate use. Richard Walker, executive chair of the family-owned group, told Channel 5 News that theft cost the retailer £20m and drained resources that could be spent on staff hours or lower prices. 'Some people see it as a victimless crime, it is not,' he said. He said retail crime was happening right across the UK and not just in tough urban areas: 'The scourge of shoplifting on our high streets continues to plague the UK, and the problem is only worsening, with criminal activity spreading across, not just big cities, but our market towns and villages too. 'In order to combat any activity in Iceland stores, we're encouraging our loyal customers to help sound the alarm, and if they do help to catch a shoplifter, we'll top up their Bonus Card to spend in store.' In April official figures showed that the number of shoplifting offences recorded by police in England and Wales has risen to the highest level on record, passing half a million offences in 2024. Retailers say the figures from the Office for National Statistics 'severely underestimate' the scale of the problem, which would amount to only two incidents for each shop a year. The British Retail Consortium (BRC) has pointed to a rise in shoplifting by organised gangs stealing to order. Earlier this week the policing minister, Dame Diana Johnson, warned members of the public against confronting shoplifters and suggested that retailers should not display expensive items such as alcohol at the front of stores. Her comments followed a claim by the Conservative police and crime commissioner for Thames Valley, Matthew Barber, that people had a duty to stand up to shoplifters rather than relying solely on police officers. Retailers argue that shops have been seen as a soft target since a 2014 change in the law in England and Wales under which those stealing goods worth less than £200 are usually spared any prison term. Sign up to Business Today Get set for the working day – we'll point you to all the business news and analysis you need every morning after newsletter promotion Big chains have also been accused of contributing to the rise in crime by reducing staff numbers and using more self-service checkouts and handheld 'scan and shop' devices in stores to keep costs down. However, businesses say they have spent millions of pounds on improving security in recent years, including installing facial recognition and AI-aided cameras. The government has set out legislation to help tackle shoplifting, including removing the £200 threshold for 'low-level' theft. The crime and policing bill, which is working its way through parliament, will also introduce a standalone offence of assaulting a retail worker. The government has promised funds to tackle organised gangs involved in shop theft.
