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Loyalty Newswire – April 6th, 2020

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By: Wise Marketer Staff |

Posted on April 6, 2020

Our world is adapting to COVID-19: restaurants are scrambling to optimize their online ordering, non-PPE manufacturers are now PPE manufacturers, hotels are becoming hospitals, brands are tip-toeing their messaging, and health, safety, and economics are a top priority for everybody. There may be distractions, but as we do every Monday, here's our curated list of loyalty-related, and these days, COVID-19 news:

  • Tijuanna Flat expedites launch of its new loyalty program to provide guests easier access to online ordering and curbside pickup.
  • Brazilian loyalty programs extend point expiration due to COVID-19
  • Workers at Instacart, Whole Foods, and Amazon are walking off the job demanding better pay and health protections due to higher risk of COVID-19 exposure.
  • Amazon strike leader fired drawing intense scrutiny.
  • Zoom CEO acknowledges security issues and vows to make company "security-first".
  • Publix expects to complete rollout of its contactless payment system chainwide by April 4th.
  • New scientific evidence suggests risk COVID-19 transmission via cash is low compared to PIN pads.
  • Local officials secure leases for hotel rooms to house coronavirus patients with minor symptoms.
  • Hospitality industry hit the hardest as U.S. economy sheds over 700,000 jobs.
  • Yum Brands CEO David Gibbs will forgo all salary for the rest of the year to be redirected to GM's and an employee relief fund.
  • Walmart, Target, and Costco enact new policy to enforce social distancing.

LOYALTY PROGRAM NEWS:

Tijuana Flats Launches New Loyalty Program

Quotable: “Tijuana Flats announced the launch of its loyalty program that allows guests to earn points for every purchase at all locations nationwide. The company initially had the rollout scheduled for late spring but expedited the launch to provide guests easier access to online ordering, curbside pickup and delivery during the COVID-19 outbreak.”

Loyalty programs extend points expiration

Quotable: “The Brazilian Association of Loyalty Market Companies (ABEMF) recalls that, in this period of economic uncertainty, discounts and the exchange of these points / miles can mean an increase in income to purchase food and products for the home. Not to mention that many of these operations can be performed online, without the need for the customer to leave home. "ABEMF reinforces that all its associates are committed to the recommendations of the competent bodies to contain the effects of the pandemic, including in relation to economic impacts, but mainly with people's health", says the association in a note.”

EMPLOYEE LOYALTY NEWS:

Why Instacart and Amazon workers are going on strike during coronavirus

Quotable: “Some workers for Instacart, one of the most popular US grocery delivery apps, went on strike Monday, demanding better pay and health protections as they risk exposing themselves to the coronavirus to deliver essentials to people on lockdown. Instacart and other grocery delivery workers are facing soaring demand — as much as 65 percent more compared to the same time last year across the top three services in the first week of March alone.”

Firing of Amazon Strike Leader Draws State and City Scrutiny

Quotable: “Chris Smalls, an Amazon.com Inc. fulfillment center employee, said the company fired him after he led a strike at a warehouse in Staten Island, New York, over coronavirus safety conditions. 'Taking action cost me my job,' Smalls said Monday in a Bloomberg TV interview. 'Because I tried to stand up for something that’s right, the company decided to retaliate against me.'”

DATA PRIVACY NEWS:

Zoom CEO admits 'missteps,' wants company to become security-first

Digital Marketers have been using Zoom for a while, but it seems that the consumer world discovered Zoom as COVID-19 forced people to work from home. Suddenly, "Zoom" has become the word that describes an entire category. Similar to the way Fed Ex and Kleenex create a clear connection between people and a service, Zoom has become the same for many people today. Why didn't Go To Meeting, Google Hangouts, or Skype take the mantle? We don't know, but with fame comes burden and Zoom CEO Eric Yuan shares some of their challenges since their volume has skyrocketed during the outbreak.

PAYMENTS NEWS:

Publix deploys contactless payment for extra COVID-19 safety

Quotable: “Tomorrow, Publix Super Markets expects to complete the rollout of contactless payment to all of its more than 1,200 stores in the Southeast. Lakeland, Fla.-based Publix said yesterday the deployment provides an extra safety measure for customers and store associates amid the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak. Some stores already are offering the contactless payment option, and the systems are slated to be in place chainwide on Saturday, April 4, including at the retailer’s small-format GreenWise Market stores.”

Covid-19, cash, and the future of payments

Quotable: “Despite public concern that Covid-19 is being transmitted by cash, scientific evidence suggests the risk is low compared with other frequently touched objects, including PIN pads, says a bulletin from the Bank for International Settlements (BIS).”

HOSPITALITY NEWS:

What does it take to convert a hotel bedroom into a COVID-19 care room?

Quotable: “As hospitals around the country prepare for an increased number of coronavirus patients and potential bed shortages, local officials seek hotel rooms and dorms as alternative housing for coronavirus patients with less severe symptoms.”

COVID-19 Rocks Hospitality Industry as Economy Sheds 701,000 Jobs

Quotable: “The start of the devastation from the Chinese virus is clearly reflected in the new monthly jobs report from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, which shows that the economy axed 701,000 jobs in March. The unemployment rate jumped from a near historic low of 3.5% to 4.4%. This report brings an end to the nation’s 113-month streak in job creation, and shows only the tip of the iceberg of the damage many Americans are beginning to experience during the COVID-19 pandemic.”

RETAIL NEWS:

Yum Brands, parent to KFC, Taco Bell, Pizza Hut and The Habit Burger Grill, gives $1,000 bonus to all company-owned restaurant general managers

Quotable: “Effective today, Yum Brands CEO David Gibbs will forgo all salary for the balance of 2020, according to an SEC filing made by the company. Gibbs was set to earn a base salary this year of $900,000. The salary will be redirected to general managers and an employee relief fund.”

Walmart To Limit Number Of People Shopping At One Time Because Of Coronavirus

Quotable: “Walmart on Saturday will begin limiting how many people are allowed inside its stores at one time, reducing its capacity to roughly 20%, as a way to enforce social distancing. The retail giant joins Target, Costo and other supermarket chains in deciding to count and restrict the number of visitors to keep shoppers at least six feet apart — from each other and from the workers — hoping to limit the spread of the coronavirus.”

The Loyalty Newswire is compiled and edited by the staff at The Wise Marketer.