Officials at Chicago-based Belly, a local business loyalty and rewards program, recently announced it has expanded internationally, launching 50 locations in the Vancouver market. This is the company’s first move outside of the United States.
Since its founding in 2011, Belly has attracted more than three million members, who have redeemed more than one million rewards through its loyalty rewards mobile app. Belly’s loyalty program is currently available at more than 7,000 businesses across the United States, and expects even more growth as they develop their presence on an international scale.
Alexandra Huber, Belly’s Public Relations Manager, participated in a Q&A with Loyalty360 to discuss the expansion.
What factors prompted the launch of 50 Belly locations in the Vancouver market?
We've always had a demand from local businesses in Canada, and for some reason we've seen a large number of requests from Vancouver over the past year. Additionally, Vancouver has a great small business community and ultimately that's where we can add the most value.
How will this impact your company and your customer base?
This expansion gives us the foundation for future launches in other international markets. It also means that Belly members in both the U.S. and Canada will be able to visit businesses and redeem rewards in the Vancouver area. Ultimately, the larger the network of Belly businesses, the more beneficial the program becomes.
What is it about Belly that differentiates itself from competitors?
Belly believes in customer-powered marketing. Unlike other companies in the space that focus solely on tools, Belly provides tools that put the customer in the center and that businesses can use for both acquisition and retention marketing efforts.
How do you define customer loyalty, what does it mean to Belly, and has it changed in recent years?
Belly believes loyalty is more than "Buy 10 Get One Free" or receiving 5% cash back on your credit card statement. Loyalty is about creating deeper relationships between businesses and their customers. Belly’s platform allows businesses to not only tailor their rewards but provide tiered rewards that engage a diverse group of customers both through monetary or experiential rewards. Belly gives existing relationships more value by bring the in-store experience and taking it online.
How has Belly used technology in the past three years to evolve as a company and better engage customers?
Over the past three years, we’ve leveraged the data gathered from more than 7,000 small businesses to improve our loyalty offering and further develop our product.