NYU STERN / PROJECTS / RETAIL MEMBERSHIP



RETAIL DISTRICT MEMBERSHIP CLUB



Co-developed with Whitney J.



We developed a membership club that incentivizes shoppers to return to brick & mortar retail in a specific city district and improve the shopping experience across businesses and related services.



All imagery, numerical data & brand names have been changed/excluded as per the NDA to retain the confidentiality of the client



Approach:





Going into the project, we first defined the goals that we are trying to achieve:

  • How can we incorporate and link consumer experience within different brands in a shopping & retail district?

  • What we can do to create a loyalty program that targets specific district shoppers, which motivates, inspires, and enrich their experiences at this destination?


The Membership Club is conceptualized as the collaboration between three entities:

  1. Shoppers
  2. Brands & Retailers
  3. Service Providers

Each of the three elements creates a symbiotic eco-system that allows for the other two to thrive. Without either pillar, the entire structure collapses.


The Membership Club offers three tiers of service for different needs of each entity across different levels of luxury.



Incentivizing Memberships:





It was important to ask why a shopper would want to return to this district over others. it was also critical to clarify why a shopper would stay within the ecosystem we have created. Each of these threads led us to develop the system in a way that benefits each entity involved and incentivizes more members to participate to access the network effects.


What was unique about this system is that the rewards shoppers accrue don't grow by spending money but by exchanging points earned for supplementary services that improve their shopping experience. The more points they exchange, the better the services and rewards they can access. This reframing of rewards and points creates a critical differentiator that promotes repeat usage while also improving the overall consumer experience.



Conflicts & Collaborations





No new initiative can exist without potential friction between internal and external entities. Through our proposal, we anticipate a few points of friction, in the Membership Club tiered structure, our participating partners, and possible external elements and in anticipation have also recommended a remedial action should such situations occur. The presence of an external auditor to manage individual interests is critical to the project and ensures neutrality in the execution and growth of the proposal.



Journey Maps:





The systemic journey of the Members to demonstrate positive and negative navigability within the program has been detailed across both axes:

  • Vertically Between Tiers To Access Premium Rewards
  • Horizontally Within The Same Tier To Access More Rewards


Participating Brands & Retailers as the second essential pillar of the system also have a journey that clarifies their involvement in the program and can be used to invite more brands to join the system.


Finally, service providers, who would offer rewards are essential to creating a positive retail experience, distinguished from other districts, also partake in a journey through this program where they can see the benefits of their offerings be returned as growth in their business through newer consumer acquisitions.



For the complete proposal and concept, please feel free to reach out to me and we can discuss the idea and approach in more depth.


© SAMYAK JAIN | ALL RIGHTS RESERVED