You don’t need to sign up for a Macy’s credit card to take advance of the store’s Star Rewards loyalty program, thanks to a system introduced Tuesday.
The retailer announced that it will add a fourth level — Bronze — to its tiered program, which the company relaunched in September and which previously offered discounts and benefits like free shipping only to customers who spent at least $499 annually at Macy’s with their store cards.
Now all shoppers will be eligible for perks like limited-time offers, bonus points on special promotion days and a “birthday surprise,” provided they sign up for the program in-store, online or through the Macy’s app.
Doubling down on loyalty programs has become something of a trend among omnichannel retailers as they try to eke out an advantage over Amazon and other online and discount competitors. Vans and DSW rolled out revamped programs this year, offering not just discounts but “unexpected” and “emotional” experiences like (in the case of DSW) points for donating new and lightly used shoes to a charity partner and (with Vans) access to members-only events.
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Macy’s, too, has an incentive to hold on to every customer it can: The company announced plans to close 100 doors in 2016 — a process that’s now more than three-quarters complete. And while it still operates around 650 locations across the country and posted annual sales of $24.8 billion in 2017, it’s facing headwinds in both brick-and-mortar and online.
Still, the company is optimistic that the new, more-inclusive program will boost its bottom line. “Since the relaunch of Star Rewards last fall, our customers have responded with tremendous enthusiasm for enhanced benefits and rewards they received as part of the program,” Rich Lennox, Macy’s chief marketing officer, said in a press release. “With the addition of the Bronze level, we’ve made earning rewards simple for everyone, no matter how you pay.”
