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Loyalty Newswire – January 10th, 2022

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By: Wise Marketer Staff |

Posted on January 10, 2022

Happy New Year! Welcome back to the Wise Marketer! That is, if you've been here before! Each week, our team of editors curate a list of the latest customer loyalty, technology, and other relevant marketing news. Our goal is to make it simple for busy professionals to quickly digest important news and trending topics. Show your support by joining our mailing list to gain access to exclusive content, events, promotions, and more. Or simply enjoy today's newswire!

  • General Motors launches new tiered loyalty program for Chevy, Buick, GMC, and Cadillac customers
  • Midwest supermarket chain Schnucks promotes healthier lifestyle with “Good For You” program
  • Starting February 1st, MGM Rewards will integrate gaming and non-gaming spend and rewards across its U.S. resorts
  • Casey's General Stores reveals new brand, goodstop by Casey's, designed for smaller stores that can't support the chain's foodservice program
  • Chinese ecommerce platform JD.com enters Europe with the opening of two “robotic pick-up” stores
  • Entries to the International Loyalty Awards 2022 will be accepted until 14 February 2022
  • Rev and Visit Mexico collaborate to launch the X World Wallet, a multi-currency debit account accessible via mobile app
  • Lawmakers introduce four more consumer data privacy bills in Florida, Washington, Indiana, and the District of Columbia
  • Budget airline Breeze Airways increases hourly wage for pilots, while also recruiting Australian pilots under the E-3 Visa Program

LOYALTY PROGRAM NEWS

The My GM Rewards Loyalty Program Expands Rewards for Chevrolet, Buick, GMC, and Cadillac Owners

Highlight: “For six consecutive years GM has been recognized as having the Highest Overall Manufacturer Loyalty by IHS Markit1, driving us to create an all-new My GM Rewards that greatly enhances the ownership experience,” said Julie Heisel, director of GM Rewards and GM Card. “The new My GM Rewards is a big win for our customers with more ways to earn and redeem points, including premium tiers of membership with exclusive offers and opportunities2.” The all-new My GM Rewards launches today with easy, no-cost signup to any current or past Chevrolet, Buick, GMC, or Cadillac customers. With three membership tiers – Silver, Gold and Platinum2 – customers can level up as they spend. Each tier unlocks higher points earnings and redemption caps. Gold and Platinum rewards members can now redeem points toward the purchase of GM Certified Pre Owned vehicles3 and their points do not expire.

What Makes Schnucks' New Rewards Program Unique

Highlight: Schnucks announced that they were tweaking their Rewards system to include a “Good For You” program. The program, which is free to all rewards members that want to opt in, tracks the number and percentage of your purchases that count as “Good For You.” The category was defined by the guiding date of the 2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans, the FDA, the USDA, and the American Heart Association. “As a neighborhood grocery store looking to build happier, healthier communities, Schnucks wants to help our customers take a step forward on their health journey,” Allison Primo, Schnucks Health & Wellness Strategy Manager, explained.

MGM Resorts Reimagines Loyalty Rewards Program With New Name, New Ways To Earn for Both Gaming and Non-gaming Spend and Enhanced Guest Experiences

Highlight: For the first time, non-gaming customers will join their gaming counterparts and have the benefit of earning a currency - MGM Rewards Points - redeemable for complimentary food and beverage, entertainment, hotel stays and more. All members can now earn Points on nearly all expenditures at MGM Resorts destinations, integrating both non-gaming and gaming activity. In addition to MGM Rewards Points, customers playing slots also will earn Slot Dollars. MGM Resorts' five member tier levels - Sapphire, Pearl, Gold, Platinum and NOIR - remain in place… “MGM Resorts boasts an unrivaled collection of resorts and amenities for our guests from around the world. As every guest experiences our properties in unique ways, MGM Rewards is designed to recognize and reward every member with experiences uniquely suited to their preferences, whether that's attending an incredible concert, enjoying a world-class meal or staying in a luxury suite,” said Anil Mansukhani, MGM Resorts' Vice President of Loyalty Marketing.

RETAIL NEWS

Casey’s Launches New Retail Brand

Highlight: In fiscal 2021, Casey’s began branding or rebranding certain stores as goodstop. “Similar to most of our store footprint, the goodstop locations offer fuel for sale on a self-serve basis and a broad selection of snacks, drinks, tobacco products and other essentials; however, such locations typically do not have a kitchen and have limited prepared food offerings,” the company said in a filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) in December. “As part of Casey’s strategy to elevate its food offering and be where the guest is, we made the decision to expand our brand portfolio to include the smaller goodstop locations,” company spokesperson Katie Petru told CSP Daily News. “[It] allows us flexibility for store and service types as our footprint grows. Our made-from-scratch pizza dough, delicious pizza and doughnuts and fresh food items must be prepared in our onsite Casey’s kitchen. We are excited to have a flexible, smaller store footprint that can deliver on guest needs despite not having a full kitchen to execute our prepared food offering each day.”

Chinese e-commerce giant JD.com moves into Europe with ‘robotic shops’

Highlight: JD.com, the second-largest e-commerce platform in China, has opened stores in Leiden and Rotterdam under the brand name of Ochama, which combines “omnichannel” and “amazing,” the company said. Two additional locations are set to open, in Amsterdam (Diemen) and Utrecht. The new, membership-based format merges online ordering and a pick-up shop in which robots prepare the packages (and deliver them to customers’ homes if the customer chooses.) “With rich experience in retail and cutting-edge logistics technologies that the company has accumulated over the years, we aspire to create an unprecedented shopping format for customers in Europe with better price and service,” said Pass Lei, general manager of Ochama, JD Worldwide.

EVENTS

Entries to the International Loyalty Awards 2022 Are Now Open

Highlight: The Loyalty Magazine Awards has rebranded for 2022 as the International Loyalty Awards in recognition of its global scope and stature as the most influential awards event in the customer loyalty industry. The International Loyalty Awards celebrate the world’s most innovative and memorable loyalty initiatives from across six continents. The awards recognise brands that are building lasting and profitable customer relationships and bring together the global leaders of loyalty, to celebrate innovation, creativity, and sheer brilliance. The Wise Marketer is a media partner for this event and Managing Editor Bill Hanifin will be participating as a judge for the competition. Entries are open and we encourage submissions as quickly as possible, submitted here. The closing date for entries is 14 February 2022 a mere 8 weeks away!

PAYMENTS NEWS

Rêv & Visit Mexico Establish Payments & Loyalty Innovations Partnership Focused On Strengthening Cross Border Travel Engagement

Highlight: The X World Wallet, now available nationwide, puts in the hands of its users a powerful tool that facilitates international transactions, discounts on travel bookings, and a points based loyalty program that helps maximize value for the user. While there are a variety of branded and co-branded credit products targeting the travel market, the availability of a mobile-first debit product that combines payments, foreign currency exchange, loyalty, and bookings is part of a recent wave of innovation that is giving consumers an alternative from credit cards with application requirements, high annual fees, interest rates and restrictive loyalty programs.

DATA & PRIVACY NEWS

Four More Consumer Data Privacy Bills Introduced in US

Highlight: The list of jurisdictions considering consumer data privacy bills in 2022 continues to grow with lawmakers introducing new bills in Florida, Washington, Indiana, and the District of Columbia. In Florida, Senator Jennifer Bradley filed the Florida Privacy Protection Act (SB 1864) on January 7, 2022… In Washington state, Representatives Vandana Slatter and April Berg pre-filed the Washington Foundational Data Privacy Act (HB 1850) on January 7, 2022… In Indiana, Representative Carey Hamilton pre-filed HB 1261… Finally, in the District of Columbia, Council Chairman Mendelson introduced B24-0451.

TRAVEL & HOSPITALITY NEWS

Here's How One Airline Is Solving the Pilot Shortage Issue

Highlight: Fledging budget airline Breeze Airways has its own plan to solve the global pilot shortage. At a time when the pilot shortage is either here or not far off, Breeze has increased its hourly wage for pilots and is also recruiting pilots under the E-3 Visa Program, according to Business Insider. The program is a joint effort between the United States and Australia in which Australian citizens who work in what is considered a specialty occupation – like a pilot – are allowed to work in the U.S. without restriction or income limits.

Did you miss the previous newswire? Stay informed: Loyalty Newswire – January 3rd, 2022

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