Ace Adds Instant Savings to Loyalty Program

Ace HardwareAce Hardware, Oak Brook, Ill., has augmented its Ace Rewards loyalty program with the “Instant Savings” feature that enables members to receive program discounts at the register without the need to have to wait to redeem rebates via the mail.

The Ace Rewards program debuted in 1997 and has grown to more than 24 million members, about 10 million of them active (at least one use of the card in the last year).

“The number one challenge that we had with our loyalty program is that it forced consumers to mail in and wait for rebates; they want instant gratification,” John Surane, Ace Hardware senior vice president, merchandising, marketing, advertising & paint, told Loyalty 360. “The core of our branding is ‘Ace is The Helpful Place.’ We want to provide customers with a great experience every time. Making them mail in and wait for rebates doesn’t fit that. [Mail rebates] is something that we have been looking to eliminate for a long time.”

Eliminating rebates in favor of Instant Savings makes the Ace Rewards program much stronger, Surane added. “If someone sees he can get $20 Instant Savings on a cordless drill, it’s a great reason to sign up for the program.”

As proof, Surane points to a 30 percent spike in membership signups the first week the Instant Savings program went into effect. He expects the program to be able to help convert more of the inactive Instant Rewards members into active members.

Customers can find the featured Instant Savings offers by looking for the Instant Savings logo on products advertised in Ace’s circulars and throughout the store at their local Ace Hardware store. Ace has more than 4,600 stores, more than 4,500 in the U.S.

To receive Instant Savings offers, customers must present their Ace Rewards card at checkout or ask the cashier to lookup their Ace Rewards number by providing their phone number or last name and five-digit zip code.

 “We have made it even easier for our customers to shop with Ace by delivering more value and convenience for them, Surane added.  “We constantly look for ways to add value for our customers, and Instant Savings is a major new exclusive benefit to our Ace Rewards loyalty program that does just that.”

Instant Savings is just one of the benefits of being an Ace Rewards member.  The free program provides members with various benefits, including 10 points for every $1 spent, a $5 reward for every 2,500 points earned, discount coupons and sale reminders, as well as helpful tips and content through the company’s Web site.

Surane added that Ace is making other improvements to its loyalty program in addition to Instant Savings:

  • The company is installing Epicor Dynamics Promotions software to simplify the program signup procedure. Customers can now join the program by giving the cashier a phone number and e-mail address.  Ace started adding the software a few months ago and now has it installed in 24,000 of its point-of-sale terminals.
  • The company is looking at various mobile apps, including mobile wallet technology, and expects to have a live mobile app within the next several months.

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