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I once heard it said that “these days you can swing a dead cat and hit somebody selling a loyalty program”. And as I reflect on the truth in that statement, I realize that there are a large number of companies including “loyalty marketing” as a component of their offerings. Bank card service companies, financial services companies, business consulting firms, and, yes, even supermarket companies now all offer their loyalty programs in an effort to raise more revenue. I suppose we are no different in that we have such a program, and your business can use it as your own, but what I think makes us a bit different is the way we look at and execute our plan to show our customers and partners how much we value and appreciate their business. It all starts there. We believe you have to give loyalty in order to expect the same in return. To take it a step further, by extending our appreciation we expect to create more profitable relationships with our best customers and partners. We’re in business to make a profit, not simply to create loyal customers. Loyalty is the foundation of profitable relationships.
What we endeavor to achieve is devotion. Devotion such that when patrons are making a choice of where and with whom they’ll spend their shopping dollar, the memory of their last event with us automatically makes the decision in our favor. This is easier said than done. It takes a culture of people who believe in this philosophy to make true devotion a reality. But I’ll let you in on a little secret…devotion is already happening right under your own nose. It maybe in your own store or your competitor’s, and it got there because an event occurred that resonated with a customer so deeply that it made a permanent emotional impact. Maybe the event was a positive one and a customer has now vowed to never shop anywhere else, or perhaps it was a negative one and a customer will only shop your competition because of what happened in your store. The key with these scenarios is the “maybe” and the “perhaps” and memories of a past event of which the details are known only by the customer. We choose not to live in that world of uncertainty. We choose to know our most profitable customers and we choose to create personalized events for them that demonstrate our devotion to them. In return we expect our customers to vote for us with their feet…by walking into our stores and shopping with us and our partners again and again.
So, if you are looking for a customer devotion program that will allow your business the opportunity to create and foster real relationships, then give us a call and join us in the journey to profitable outcomes.
Best regards,
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Greenbax Enterprises began as a sister corporation to Piggly Wiggly Carolina in the 1950s. What started as a simple trading stamp program has become a multifaceted, consumer-oriented organization with a variety of redemption options and earning opportunities. Today, Greenbax Awards is one of the nation's oldest and most successful customer loyalty programs.
In the beginning of the program, customers saved and earned stamps only at Piggly Wiggly stores. Shoppers had a limited selection of items to choose from at redemption stores located throughout South Carolina and southeast Georgia. Over time the choice of redemption options increased tremendously as the products grew to include national name brand items. The selection of merchandise was also eventually made available through more Greenbax Redemption Centers, the Greenbax mail order catalog, via the Internet at www.Greenbax.net, through the Partner Merchant network, and at more than 120 Piggly Wiggly stores.
Another monumental development came to the program in the mid-1990s. With the advent of technology, customers no longer had to collect and paste paper stamps into booklets before heading to the Piggly Wiggly store, or a redemption outlet. From that moment on, each customer's balance was stored electronically on the Pig's Favorite Customer (PFC) card for later use or continued savings. This development added convenience to the customer's Greenbax experience and eliminated the undesirable need to “lick and stick!”
Today, shoppers can redeem Greenbax at Piggly Wiggly stores for grocery specials or at numerous other Partner Merchant locations for a variety of products and services. Customers can receive the items they need most by using their Greenbax in any one of these markets. The redemption evolution continues as movie passes at the local cinemas and tickets to family entertainment locations, sporting events, and many other attractions are made available to customers in exchange for their Greenbax. Since they're FREE, Greenbax have become a more valuable reward to customers who regularly shop Piggly Wiggly and our Partner Merchant locations!
Greenbax continues to add value to customer savings and rewards by collaborating with Partner Merchants in a wide selection of markets. These businesses have made the decision to offer and accept Greenbax because they see the value in rewarding a consumer for their patronage. In return, consumers are more apt to purchase goods or services from these select Partner Merchants because with every purchase, they receive a Greenbax “Thank You.”
No matter the decade, Greenbax Enterprises is distinguished by its willingness to take the lead in customer appreciation.
News|
Nostalgia: As American as Baseball, Apple Pie and Greenbax Stamps! |
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In a world filled with uncertainty, strife, and questions, there really is a bright ray of sunshine with a program like Greenbax stamps. Where else can you get so much for so little? The process if painfully simple: Shop at Piggly Wiggly amidst a friendly staff, a homey atmosphere and very fair prices, where you'll easily find every item needed for your household — from pet collars to produce, asiago cheese to aged beef — and you'll earn a “commission,” so to speak. Every dollar spent allows customers to earn books of Greenbax stamps, which when redeemed, provide merchandise, entertainment, or necessities such as gas, at no additional cost!
I've often used this term to describe nostalgia: “It's as American as baseball and apple pie,” but I'd like to add… “and Greenbax stamps!” This fifty-year tradition has seen my family (four generations) reap the benefits time and time again! In the '50s my mother pasted stamps into books, which she redeemed at the Greenbax store. Now it's 2004, and it's all done electronically. Current accumulation and orders can even be processed online. I'm proud and quite vocal of my affiliation with the Greenbax folks. Honesty, integrity and a sense of community come to mind. I'd shop at the Pig no matter what — because these folks are my extended family and they know me by name — but that thrill at the end of the check-out process showing my new accumulation of Greenbax stamps — keeps me coming back for more!
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Ann M. Ipock - 04/16/04 Click HERE for PDF of full article |
“I just wanted to take a moment to share with you how pleased we have been with our partner merchant relationship with Greenbax. Since opening my first café 3 years ago, I have tried every type of advertising there is. We did radio, we sponsored the morning show on a local TV station, we did print ads, billboards and direct mail. But none of these advertising methods were as effective in bringing in customers and building customer loyalty as the Greenbax program has been.
“We have customers now who come into the stores and are so excited about giving us their bright yellow Nestlé Cookie Club Cards that they forget what they want to order! Folks are THRILLED when they can redeem their books, and many times end up buying MORE items when they realize their first purchase cost them virtually nothing!
“I even had a customer yesterday tell me that we reminded her of going to her Grandmother's house when she was young! She said she remembered sitting at her Grandmother's kitchen table, ‘licking and sticking’ Greenbax with the smell of Nestlé Toll House Cookies in the oven. It is so fun to be the place that people can go and be reminded of good memories from their past!
“I have nothing but words of praise for your program and for all the help Tom has given us in getting up and running. My staff is enthusiastic, my customers are excited and I am thrilled!
“Thank you so much for your time and for the opportunity to be a partner merchant in your program!”
Amanda L. Wilson“Just a note to let you know how valuable Greenbax are to our stores. I was amazed how many customers had Greenbax cards in our markets. Greenbax is a very easy and efficient way to give our customers a reward for shopping at our stores. Your commitment and dedication to the program is outstanding! Thank you for your support.”
David M. Mixson“The information I was able to collect really helped me identify my best customers. I sent out a mailer to them during my slowest time, and got a good response. The Greenbax Partner Merchant Program has definitely helped me increase my sales!”
Bill Luhn“By joining the Greenbax Partner Merchant network I can now know all of my customers by name, visits, and spending habits. This has allowed me to become much more attentive to all of my customers not just the ones I see the most frequently. Greenbax has also allowed me to provide my customers with a frequency program that is electronically administered and not tied to a punch card. The old paper punch card idea was cumbersome for my customers and was ripe with opportunities for abuse. I now have a program that rewards my customers, is easier for my cashiers, and protects my business interests.”
George Babalis
Early in 2000, Piggly Wiggly Carolina Co. began plans for a new initiative to expand and modernize it's customer loyality program - Greenbax. It was believed that through electronic collaboration with partner merchants within the community, Greenbax could take the lead in customer appreciation and add additional value to customers with savings and rewards in a wide section of markets. But to accomplish this goal, new technology had to be found. A single terminal with a small foot-print and a multi-application architecture that would run quickly but securely over the Internet was needed. Luckily Verifone, a division of Hewlett-Packard, had just released a new device for the payment industry with the ability to communicate over the Internet. This device used a programmable environment called Verix that allowed the creation of a point-of-sale solution for any sized merchant. In February 2001, the first electronic partner merchant was installed in Mt. Pleasant, South Carolina. Today there are over 200 such Verifones installed at merchants blanketing the state.
“We are delighted to recognize Piggly Wiggly Carolina as the
receipient of our Verix Innovation Award. Clearly their solution is an
outstanding example of innovation in action.”
Pierre-Francois Catte, V.P. & General Manager
Consumer behavior is driven by perceived value. This is the natural law that drives the power of the coalition approach to Greenbax Customer Rewards. For over 50 years Greenbax has been helping merchants shape consumer behavior with power that exists well beyond the four walls of any business. Although the challenges facing the average merchant today are much different than they were 50 years ago, like gravity, perceived value remains the constant force.
At Greenbax we have continued to help our merchants compete in a world where consumers can reach farther and faster to find value. Greenbax is helping local business communities harness the same technology that is changing the way the world does business. Local retailers that refuse to become irrelevant have an opportunity to leverage the power of entire communities and raise the value proposition to consumers that will continue to become more demanding.
Hundreds of merchants in several states are using the common currency of Greenbax to reward their shared customers in ways they never thought possible. The business intelligence that flows through this partnership is invaluable. The simplicity with which local businesses can integrate Greenbax into their strategy is unmatched.
So, when you decide that you’d like to know your customers and give back to them in a way that matters to them, don’t forget about all their other every day purchases. Make those purchases work for you, other local business, local charities and most importantly, your customer. To do otherwise would be like trying to live in this world without acknowledging gravity.
