MyBigY loyalty program review

Big Y Foods offers a customer loyalty program to provide members with a cost-effective and rewarding shopping experience. With a wide selection of groceries, fresh produce, and household items, Big Y Foods aims to foster customer loyalty and become a preferred destination for quality essentials through its loyalty program.

Introduction:

Currently headquartered in Springfield (MA) Big Y is one of the largest independently owned supermarket chains in New England. They were established in 1936 and currently operate 62 stores throughout Connecticut and Massachusetts. Founded by brothers Paul and Gerald D’Amour, the store was named after an intersection where two roads converge to form a “Y”.

Big Y World Class Market is listed among Forbes top 500 Private Companies, and it employs over 12,000 people.

Loyalty program objectives:

The primary objectives of myBigY are to provide customers with value, drive repeat visits, and offer exclusive benefits. By offering savings on groceries, personalized offers, and convenient services, Big Y Foods aims to build lasting relationships with its customers while ensuring they receive exceptional value.

The story behind Big Y’s silver & gold coins

Introduced in 1998, Big Y’s loyalty program initially had 4 tiers and coloured coins: red, blue, silver and gold.

Big Y’s Express Savings Club program was free of charge. Shoppers received coins based on their purchases that could redeemed for discounts on specific items sold in the chain’s stores. Big Y customers presented the coins at checkout to receive their discounts.

The coin program was very popular, but customers asked us for a more convenient way to do it.

Harry Kimball, Big Y’s director of database marketing.

In 2011, Big Y launched a new savings program for its customers on top of its Express Savings Club, with a $20 annual membership fee. A benefit of the fee-based program was consumers didn’t have to present coins to get discounts. Also, they could purchase up to 5 of any individual items with a special price.

While redemptions in the free program are on a one-to-one basis, members of the Silver Savings Club may “purchase up to five of any individual item” that has a special silver coin price. Physical coins were replaced with a physical or digital loyalty card that would be scanner at check out.

In 2018 (and after 20 years!), Big Y eliminated the tiers, finally merging the silver coin with the customer loyalty card into a digital discount program that allows Big Y to target specific customers with specific offers more effectively.

Big Y was the only supermarket that ran the coin promotions. That made it hard to explain the system to new customers.

We were getting increasing complaints that customers didn’t bring their gold coins, keep track of their gold coins and didn’t like  keeping track of the discounts. We found we could be much more effective going digital.

Claire D’Amour-Daley, Vice President of Corporate Communications

The coins were also a headache for cashiers and store managers who had to keep track of them, collect them and issue them.

In 2018, myBigY Digital Account & Big Y Membership were introduced

By going digital, Big Y could offer a much better customer experience with digital coupons that became savings at checkout.

Customer experience and reward structure:

Customers can easily sign up for the myBigY loyalty program online or at any Big Y Foods location, providing basic information and receiving immediate access to member benefits, such as discounts on eligible items and on gas. Big Y Foods provides members with personalized recipe ideas and meal suggestions based on their purchase history and preferences, and customers can directly create their digital shopping list.

Big Y Foods uses purchase history and shopping preferences to tailor offers and discounts based on individual customer needs.

The program integrates across both physical and online shopping channels, ensuring that members can enjoy savings regardless of how they choose to shop. With the card linked to discounts and digital coupons, members can effortlessly access savings at checkout by scanning their card or providing their phone number.

The myBigY loyalty program stands out with its focus on cost-effective grocery shopping. The program’s alignment with Big Y Foods’ wide range of grocery offerings enhances its value.

Loyalty App

With the myBigY loyalty app, customers can see items based on their history and recommendations from the weekly ad. They can create a shopping list for their home store, and load digital coupons easily. They also have access to recipes.

Data and Analytics:

Through the myBigY loyalty program, the grocer collects valuable data on customer purchase behavior, preferences, and spending patterns. This data enables Big Y Foods to provide targeted offers, optimize inventory, and enhance the overall shopping experience.

Utilizing member data, Big Y Foods communicates personalized promotions, offers, and recipes through email newsletters, mobile app notifications, and in-store signage, ensuring that they are aware of ongoing promotions, savings, and special offers.

Possible growth opportunities

Leveraging advanced Loyalty Analytics

By analyzing customer and engagement data, including usage frequency and savings achieved, can measure the program’s success in capturing and retaining customer interest. Analyzing the shopping frequency and average transaction value of loyalty program members compared to non-members can gauge the program’s impact on driving customer visits and spending.

Improving loyalty app user experience (UX)

According to our research, the myBigY loyalty app has room for improvement in terms of user experience. Mobile app users complaint about the app being slow, cumbersome and full of bugs, encouraging the company to improve the app in future versions.

Bigger rewards catalog

While the program provides instant discounts, some members may desire additional benefits such as exclusive access to premium products or personalized meal planning.

Enhancing personalization

Big Y Foods could further leverage customer data to provide truly personalized offers, such as recommendations for products frequently purchased by members, ensuring a more tailored and relevant shopping experience.

Gamified features and experiential rewards

Organizing member-exclusive events, such as cooking classes or product samplings, would foster a sense of community among myBigY members and enhance their shopping experience.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the myBigY Club Card effectively enhances the grocery shopping experience by providing discounts. By leveraging customer data and providing savings, Big Y Foods embraces the digital transformation of the grocery industry, fostering customer loyalty and driving repeat visits.

By implementing recommendations for enhanced personalization, meal planning resources, and community engagement, Big Y Foods can further elevate the program’s effectiveness and solidify its position as a trusted provider of quality essentials at a great value.

If you’re a retailer and you’d like to talk about loyalty management technology in more detail, then get in touch our team – we’ll be happy to show you examples or talk through your brand’s unique challenges.