J.Crew has a fresh trick up its sleeve to woo back lost shoppers: a loyalty program that doesn’t rely on store credit cards to drive business.
The retailer announced last week that it is launching a new rewards program that includes perks like free shipping, personalized offers and $5 of store credit for every 200 points accumulated. Members earn points by shopping, so every dollar spent is a point earned.
The program will also offer access to special events, potentially luring some customers back into J.Crew stores, a particular focus for the company after 13 straight quarters of declining same-store sales. (Earlier this year, the retailer said it would open Madewell shop-in-shops in six J.Crew stores around the country, capitalizing on the popularity of its sister brand with millennial shoppers.)
Rewards programs are a valuable tool to keep customers coming back in a hyper-competitive retail environment, and many companies have recently doubled down on theirs. Macy’s announced in May that it would open its Star Rewards program to all shoppers, not just store cardholders, adding a fourth level — Bronze — to its tiered system. DSW and Vans also revamped their programs earlier this year, moves that executives said were aimed at “creating authentic connections” and “offering . . . compelling benefits and emotional experiences.”
J.Crew’s revamped program is the brainchild of Adam Brotman, who was named president and chief experience officer at the retailer in March after a tenure at Starbucks, where he spearheaded the launch of the coffee chain’s mobile ordering system and rewards program.
Today that program drives 40 percent of Starbucks’ sales, and J.Crew (and its shareholders) are no doubt hoping that Brotman can generate similar success among customers shopping for sandals and skirts that he did among those picking up Venti vanilla lattés. In the meantime, shoppers can sign up in-store or at Jcrew.com.
