As for most of the French, your wallet is probably composed of 50% of loyalty cards.
Indeed, from the kebab shop on the corner to the gigantic supermarket, almost every shopkeeper offers you to reward your loyalty with a simple card.
This practice is so widespread because of its effectiveness and its multiple advantages from a commercial and marketing point of view.
Let's go over its usefulness, its advantages, and the best practices to follow in order to offer loyalty cards for your business.
Loyalty cards, for what purpose?
Let's start at the beginning, a loyalty card, what is it?
It is part of a set of marketing tools, just like communication or advertising goodieswhich has for vocation, as its name indicates it, to build customer loyalty.
This nominative card allows the merchant to identify the most regular customers and to reward them with various advantages such as discounts, gifts or service offers.
Did you know: Fnac was the first company to use loyalty cards in France starting in 1954. Later on, this practice was democratized through oil companies such as Total. The 1980s marked the rise of loyalty cards in the retail sector.
The use of loyalty cards in France
Here are some key figures to better understand the relationship and uses of French people with loyalty cards:
- 85% of French people have at least 1 loyalty card. This concerns all sectors but mainly mass retail (74%), cosmetics (53%) and leisure (50%)*.
- 78% of French people believe they save money thanks to loyalty programs*.
- 75% say they regularly visit the stores/networks where they have a loyalty program*.
- All sectors of activity combined, the average basket increased by 39%.**
These figures clearly show the effectiveness of loyalty programs. However, there are nuances to be made depending on the type of loyalty program. To learn more about the best practices, see our paragraph on loyalty programs our paragraph on loyalty programs below.
The advantages of the loyalty card
First obvious advantage, to build customer loyalty.
As we have seen above, 75% of the people who have a loyalty card from a retailer say they will return. This is especially true if your loyalty program is clear and truly beneficial.
Another more psychological aspect: . the feeling of recognition. Indeed, the loyalty card shows that the customer's "loyalty" to the brand is taken into account.
Last but not least, the creation of a database on your customers. This is probably the most important point. Indeed, the information collected on your customers and their buying behavior allows you to implement targeted and relevant remarketing operations.
In addition to being efficient, this last aspect is also appreciated by the customers themselves.
- 65% of French people say that loyalty programs are not targeted enough to their needs/consumption habits*.
- 79% would appreciate it if loyalty programs offered benefits related to their consumption profile*.
How to create your own loyalty card?
The map itself
A loyalty card is an object regularly handled, with a vocation to last in time, for this reason it is preferable to produce it in a solid material (prefer plastic cards to paper cards).
The aesthetic aspect is also essential because it conveys your brand image. It is therefore advisable to have them produced via a professional printing service like that of Elliaden.
In the case of regular and large-scale production, it is preferable to equip yourself with a plastic card printer in order to be more autonomous and reactive in the production of your cards.
On this subject you can consult our guide to plastic card printers as well as our presentation file of the Cardpresso printing software.
Discover also the latest ELLIADEN product : theCaroline printer with many advantages, especially on its printing ribbons.
Still on the subject of aesthetics, it is important that your loyalty card has a few key aspects:
- Company logo and colors, for branding purposes and to make the card easily identifiable in the wallet
- Contact information, phone number, address etc..
- The main attribute of the loyalty program (10% for every X € of purchase etc..)
The loyalty program
The most important thing about a loyalty card is the benefits and services that are attached to it.
First of all, the loyalty program must be simple and transparentIf it is too complex or does not seem to be beneficial, the customer will not take the time to fill out the form. If they are too complex or do not seem to be advantageous, they will not take the time to fill out the form.
Then, you must know your clientele well from a sociological in order to develop adapted programs.
Source: Audirep study: Loyalty cards: I love you, I don't love you..., What are the challenges for retailers?
As we have seen above, the French would like to have more personalized programs personalized and more in line with their consumption profile. For example, targeted discounts on the most frequently purchased products; and finally, rewarding loyalty over time and not only on the monetary aspect.
- 80% regret that loyalty programs only take into account the amount of their purchases without taking into account their length of service, and therefore their loyalty to the brand*.
*Audirep study: Loyalty card: I love you, but I don't love you either..., What are the challenges for retailers?
**Michelle and Philippe Jean-Baptiste, Le marketing on line : Guide pratique et juridique, Editions Eyrolles, 7 July 2011, 228 p