Programs
IKEA Canada Has Just Revamped Its IKEA Family Loyalty Program
The retailer has made significant changes to its loyalty program, based on consumer feedback. “We want the IKEA Family program to be the best way our customers experience IKEA,” says Michael Kotsidis, Customer Engagement and Loyalty Manager, IKEA Canada. “By re-developing the program to understand our customers better, we ensure IKEA continues to be a great place to shop while meeting the growing need for personalization and relevance in an evolving retail landscape.”
Customer Experience
Starbucks Gets Personal with Deep Brew Artificial Intelligence Program
On a post-earnings conference call, Starbucks CEO Kevin Johnson discussed Deep Brew, “an artificial intelligence program [that] has been percolating for the past year. The company has been ramping up its investment in artificial intelligence during the course of the program. ‘Deep Brew will increasingly power our personalization engine, optimize store labor allocations, and drive inventory management in stores,’ says Johnson, according to a FactSet transcript.”
JC Penney Creates the Store of Its Wishes in Hurst, Settles on Using It as a Lab
The retailer’s two-story building “has been transformed into a clean, open, uncluttered department store with experiences that retail experts say are needed to get people back into the store. Shopalongs, individual and focus group interviews, and data were used to come up with a store that’s easier to shop, Soltau said. With 13 percent less inventory, that space has been given back to the shopper in the form of 11 lounges to ‘hang out and chill so they can continue shopping.’”
Walmart Appears to Be Gaining Ground against Amazon
The frequency of people buying items on Amazon six times or more per month “has dropped to 40 percent this year from 80 percent in 2017, according to surveys by First Insight, a retail analytics firm that collects data to help retailers such as Dick’s Sporting Goods, Crocs, and Kohl’s make product decisions.”
Employee Engagement
Uber Is Expanding Rewards for Drivers and Delivery Partners
Uber has announced that it is enhancing its driver rewards program, saying it is “taking the next step by launching Uber Eats Pro to delivery partners in more than 200 cities. This program will also provide access to 100 percent tuition coverage at ASU Online, so eligible delivery partners can take another step toward their long-term goals. Eligible delivery partners or their family members have access to 80-plus undergraduate degree programs, in addition to the eight different English language courses personalized to students’ skill level, and a course certificate in entrepreneurship offered through ASU’s Continuing & Professional Education program.”