Loyalty360 Reads: August 8, 2019

Programs
 
Giant Food Stores Readies New Loyalty Program
The grocery retailer plans to launch a new loyalty program that offers rewards and an engaging digital experience. “Called Giant Choice Rewards, the program has been under pilot with shoppers in a test market in western Pennsylvania since June, and Giant is targeting a full launch to customers by the end of this year. An initial pilot with associates began in January and is slated to become available to all associates in August.”
 
Customer Experience
 
The Apple Card Rolls Out
Select consumers will be the first to try the new Apple Card, which will soon be available to the general public. It works interestingly: “Apple isn’t charging any late fees, annual fees, or international fees on this card, and it says that it doesn’t see any of your purchase data at all—all that transaction data cleanup and categorization happens locally on your phone. Goldman Sachs can obviously see that data since it has to approve or decline purchases, but Apple says it’s entered into a special privacy agreement with Goldman that restricts Apple Card purchase data from being used for anything other than operating the card itself—it can’t be used for advertising, sold to third parties, or anything else.”
 
Subway Partners with Beyond Meat
The QSR is struggling, and it bets that a partnership to launch a limited-time product can turn things around. Subway “is partnering with the maker of plant-based meat products, starting with a test of a Beyond Meatball Marinara sub. The limited-time sandwich will be available in 685 locations in the US and Canada starting in September.”
 
Skift’s US Traveler Profile and Key Statistics
Skift Research “has conducted an analysis of travel data provided by multiple government agencies and our own proprietary estimates to create a profile of the American leisure travel consumer that includes spending estimates and key stats that businesses need to understand.” If you want to learn more about today’s consumers, check it out.
 
B2B
 
Mastercard Buys Nets Unit for $3.19 Billion
The company “agreed to buy a payments platform owned by Denmark-based Nets for 2.85 billion euros ($3.19 billion), using its biggest-ever acquisition to help extend a push into faster payments. With the purchase, Mastercard is getting an electronic-billing platform and clearing and instant-payment services, according to a statement Tuesday. The company said the purchase will hurt profit for as long as two years after it’s completed, which is expected in the first half of 2020.”
 

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