In a January 2011 article on RetailWire, Bill Hanifin, managing director of Hanifin Loyalty, wrote of the move within loyalty marketing programs to provide "more automatic and instantaneous recognition of customers."
Consumers, he wrote, "want things at the speed of the Internet, whether it's information, customer service — or a perk for being a customer."
Nordstrom, as are others, is facing this challenge as it seeks to broaden its customer base. In the department store's case, that includes so-called aspirational shoppers who may not have the income of the typical Nordstrom customer, but still want to buy the luxury goods it sells.
Now, according to a Wall Street Journal article, Nordstrom has reworked its four-tier loyalty program to make it easier for shoppers to qualify for rewards.
According to the Journal, members on the lowest level will receive up to "$100 in complimentary alterations" from the get-go and consumers may now earn points for purchases made at Nordstrom Rack.
"Rack stores tend to be a common point of entry and a place where people try Nordstrom out," Kevin Knight, president of Nordstrom Credit, told the Journal.
Nordstrom is also making point rewards more accessible for its top customers, as well. Level four members previously had to spend $20,000 a year for a variety of special perks. Now, that number has been cut to $10,000 annually.
