Here's this week's list of industry news. We hope everyone is doing well and staying safe out there.
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- Food Lion's MVP Rewards named best retail loyalty program in Bond's report
- Wyndham Rewards points can now be earned when you order one of Home Chef's meal kits
- El Pollo Loco's loyalty program has helped keep the chain afloat despite pandemic-related setbacks
- Oliver Chen, managing director and senior analyst for Cowen, shares his outlook on retail's luxury sector
- Gunter Pfau, Founder and CEO of Stuzo, discusses how they've survived the pandemic while also working to revolutionize e-commerce
- India's largest retailer, Reliance Retail, has acquired Future Group's network of 1,700 stores in major deal
- Fintech firm Home Captain released a new conversion optimization system that combines technology and human services
- Rockville, Maryland selects ParkMobile to power contactless payments at on-street metered parking spaces
- Delays at the USPS have caused B2B payments to lag behind
- After 11 years, here's the story of the Delta and Northwest merger
- Changes to Virgin Atlantic's frequent flyer program enables travelers to earn elite status when booking flights using miles
- Sunway Hotels & Resorts signs 3-year agreement with Amadeus to boost customer loyalty and overall efficiency
LOYALTY PROGRAM NEWS:
Food Lion Named #1 Loyalty Grocery Retail Program in Bond’s Loyalty Report 2020
Quotable: “Food Lion’s MVP Rewards customer loyalty program was named The Loyalty Report’s Best U.S. Grocery Retail Program of 2020. Bond’s annual report, produced in partnership with Visa, surveyed almost 70,000 consumers on more than 100 attributes that examine more than 1,000 loyalty and credit card programs across 34 global markets.”
Wyndham Rewards Teams Up with Home Chef, Offers Members Meal Kit Delivery
Quotable: “The collaboration is the latest in a series of new opportunities for members to earn and redeem Wyndham Rewards points, underscoring Wyndham's ongoing commitment to finding new and meaningful ways for everyday travelers to engage with the program—even when they're not traveling.”
This Beloved Chicken Chain's Loyalty Program Is Keeping It Alive
Quotable: “It's not uncharacteristic for even the most successful restaurant chains to have had to close some of its locations across the nation since March. However, El Pollo Loco is defying the odds and posting tremendous growth in sales. In fact, it tripled its sales generated from digital channels. Prior to 2018, the beloved chicken chain was spending 98% of its media budget on TV and print media outlets, which means they were forgetting to target two key audiences: Millennials and Gen Z.”
RETAIL NEWS:
Through the retail lens: the pandemic’s impact on luxury
Quotable: “Oliver Chen is managing director and senior equity research analyst for financial services company Cowen, covering more than 30 stocks in the retail and luxury sectors. Considered an industry expert, Chen frequently speaks at key industry events and was included on the NRF Foundation’s The List of People Shaping Retail’s Future 2019. He spoke with NRF about the pandemic’s impact on luxury retail.”
Philly’s Stuzo is breaking down retail’s brick-and-mortar barriers from the outskirts of Chinatown
Quotable: “Stuzo’s priorities for 2020 changed significantly in March. The majority of our customers are in categories that were impacted by the COVID-19 lockdowns and, as such, so was our business. Coming out of March we shifted to the following priorities: 1. Empower our employees to do exceptional work and be culturally connected while remote. 2. Do everything in our power to help protect our customers’ businesses through an extended period of uncertainty. 3. Be creative and strategic to ensure that Stuzo comes out of COVID-19 stronger as a company.”
India’s Reliance Retail Acquires Future Retail
Quotable: “In a deal that is expected to reshape retail in India, Reliance Retail Ventures Ltd., already the country’s largest retailer, has upped its size significantly with the acquisition of more than 1,700 stores owned by the Future Group. The deal also includes the wholesale, logistics and warehousing business of the Future Group. The purchase price was 247.13 billion rupees, or $3.38 billion at current exchange.”
FINANCIAL SERVICES NEWS:
Home Captain launches hub for customer retention products
Quotable: “Following its recent acquisition of Redefy, fintech firm Home Captain has rolled out a new suite of products and services that helps mortgage companies increase customer engagement and satisfaction.”
Payments News:
Rockville, Maryland, Partners with ParkMobile for Contactless Parking Payments
Quotable: “ParkMobile, the leading provider of smart parking and mobility solutions in the U.S., announced today a new partnership with the City of Rockville to offer contactless parking payments at over 500 on-street metered spaces in the area. ParkMobile will replace the MobileNOW! app that shut down in May due to the impact of COVID-19. Amid the ongoing health crisis, city leaders are encouraging residents to use the app instead of the meter to prevent the spread of the virus.”
USPS Slowdowns Add More Hurdles To B2B Payments
Quotable: “New delays at the United States Postal Service (USPS) have complicated B2B payments further even as they were already disrupted by the pandemic, The Los Angeles Times reported. Reports collected from various sources have mail arriving much later after days of delays, including for such things as medications and paper checks for payroll.”
TRAVEL NEWS:
The Story Of The Delta And Northwest Merger
Quotable: “The Delta Air Lines that is recognized across the world today came about in 2008 when Delta and Northwest announced plans to merge. In December 2009, Delta and Northwest’s operating certificates were combined, and the carriers officially became one big airline. It has been almost 11 years since that merger. Here’s the story behind it.”
Virgin Atlantic Starts Issuing Elite Qualifying Points For Award Flights
Quotable: “Late this month, United Kingdom-based Virgin Atlantic announced that flights booked and traveled with Flying Club award miles would additionally earn points towards annual elite status with the carrier. Put another way, one can use a stash of saved-up frequent flyer miles to travel extensively on the carrier after September 1st and earn top tier elite status — all without paying a dime for airfare (taxes, however, are up to the traveler).”
Sunway Hotels & Resorts signs 3-year agreement with Amadeus to boost efficiency and customer loyalty
Quotable: “As part of the 3-year agreement, the hotel group will implement Amadeus' iHotelier® Central Reservation System, Guest Management Solutions, and website management solutions in various phases. Collectively these products will consolidate and organise important guest and operational data as well as provide actionable insights. This is a timely move, as data-driven approaches to guest acquisition and retention are more crucial than ever – according to recent Amadeus research.”
Read last week's newswire if you missed it: Loyalty Newswire – August 24th, 2020
The Loyalty Newswire is compiled and edited by the staff at The Wise Marketer.
