Loyalty and reward schemes are very popular with United Kingdom customers and McDonald’s is the latest company to cash in on the growing trend.
Starting Monday (Jan. 10), the quick-service restaurant (QSR) giant will be piloting its MyMcDonald’s Rewards program in 10 restaurants across the North of England, as part of plans to roll out the scheme to an additional 65 restaurants by the end of the month, and nationwide by the end of the year.
Through the program, customers can earn 100 reward points for every 1 pound they spend, which can then be cashed in for a free meal or a charity donation after they’ve banked 1,500 points, 2,500 or 4,000 points.
Commenting on the pilot, McDonald U.K. and Ireland SVP and Chief Marketing Officer Michelle Graham-Clare reportedly said, “We’re incredibly excited to trial the MyMcDonald’s Rewards scheme in the UK.”
She added that in addition to rewarding customers with “iconic menu items,” the company was also “delighted to give customers the option of donating points to the brilliant BBC Children in Need, money which we know will make an incredible difference to the lives of many thousands of young people.”
Repeat customers who accumulate 1,500 points can donate 1.50 pounds to the charity partner, while those with 2,500 and 4,000 points who choose the option to donate can give 2.50 pounds and 4 pounds, respectively.
The launch of the loyalty program in the U.K. is part of a wider strategic move by the burger giant which company President and CEO Chris Kempczinski spoke about in a third-quarter earnings call last October.
According to Kempczinski, “loyalty is certainly the way to get that customer to engage and share information with you,” as he shared with analysts the company’s plans to expand the MyMcDonald’s Rewards program, which is currently active in the United States, Germany and Canada, to its top six markets by mid-2022.
The firm also intends to leverage the loyalty program to grow its known customer base 8X, and has already seen a bump in customer frequency where the program is available…ReadMore…
