The Mi Rewards loyalty programme is set to relaunch in 5 UK towns and cities following a major update, as part of a mission to drive local and loyal shopping.
A first of its kind loyalty platform, the updated Mi Rewards sees local offers take centre stage. Users earn points for shopping local, which they can spend on exclusive offers from local businesses.
The loyalty platform is powered by Perth based fintech Miconex alongside loyalty solution firm Stampfeet.
Free to join and available both online and through an app, a key feature of the Mi Rewards programme is that it works through users’ regular payment cards, awarding points as the cards are used with registered businesses in the town or city.
Billed as ‘the frequent shopper loyalty programme’, the Mi Rewards initiative will also allow users to earn badges as they shop, levelling up to ‘Local Hero’ status.
Miconex also delivers the Town & City Gift Card initiative, with 200 programmes globally. Colin Munro is the managing director of Miconex and said: “The new and improved Mi Rewards gives users a front row seat to the best offers in a town or city, maintaining the friction-free element of the platform paired with upgrades that deliver what customers and businesses want from a loyalty programme.
“For customers, the gratification of earning points for shopping local ready to spend on exclusive local offers brings a tangible sense of reward for local shopping, while the gamification aspect of earning badges brings the fun. For businesses, their objective is bringing new customers through the door, and that’s exactly what Mi Rewards does by using spend data to target offers to customers who are new to that business.”
Asaf Rozin is the CEO of Stampfeet and said: “Mi Rewards is a great example of a loyalty programme that demonstrates a useful and successful outcome for all stakeholders involved. I’m also proud of it being a do-good programme. We’re using the technical capabilities of Stampfeet to create not just a profitable product but also a product that helps local economies to be more successful. We do this by taking an innovative approach to supporting local commerce, welcoming national brands and independents as programme partners, fostering synergy between them and ultimately providing more diverse rewards for users.
“The updated Mi Rewards platform also taps into key trends from the loyalty industry such as flexibility and user experience. When it comes to rewards, flexibility means having lots of options for rewards as well as redemption options. Mi Rewards does this by offering a wide variety of exclusive, unique rewards that users won’t find anywhere else, from both independent businesses and national brands. It’s a good mix.
“Loyalty programme users want to have easy access to their platform from any device and in any situation. To enable this, we’ve launched a mobile friendly site alongside android and iOS apps, with more channels coming soon. Our card linking technology makes it super easy for members to earn points with zero friction in the purchase process, and the simple and straightforward redemption process makes it very easy for Mi Rewards users to enjoy their exclusive local offers. The goal is ease of use for Mi Rewards users and the businesses who are part of their local programme.”
The first city to go live with the updated Mi Rewards programme is Perth in Scotland. Local offers available in Perth at launch include 2 for 1 gin tasting session, 20% off a bungee jump, £15 off afternoon tea, 2 for 1 pizza, 10% off a sack of pet food and a Stagecoach Day Rider ticket for £1 (usually £11).
Iain McDonald is the co-founder of Perth Distillery who are offering a 2 for 1 Perth Gin tasting experience through Mi Rewards in Perth, and free label personalisation on a bottle of gin. Iain said: “I think the move towards exclusive offers from local businesses through Mi Rewards is a fantastic opportunity. A loyalty programme has to have value for the customer and for the business too. It’s absolutely paramount for businesses in Perth to encourage new customers through the door as well as retaining existing customers, and an attractive offer will give customers the incentive they need to give you a go. With the two years we lost due to the pandemic, Perth Distillery is still one of the best kept secrets in Perth and with Mi Rewards’ help, we hope more people will discover us!”
People can sign up for Mi Rewards free.
