WineLab suggests customers to abandon the use of plastic cards

WineLab is moving away plastic discount cards in favor of digital registration in the loyalty program. Starting at the end of November 2022, issuing plastic cards will no longer be mandatory for new customers in WineLab stores. From now on, the store's loyalty system, which already has more than 5.9 million members, will only require the customer's phone number and a confirmation code (received via text or call on their mobile device), which they will have to tell the store employee. Consumers still have access to self-registration on the website or mobile app, as well as an additional option to accumulate and write off bonus points when ordering online. Registration is incentivized by the points-based loyalty program, launched in the summer as a complement to the discount program. The loyalty program was so successful that in late December the INFOLine agency ranked WineLab among the leaders of FMCG chains’ loyalty programs in Russia.

The innovation saves customers' time on filling out loyalty card forms and simplifies the registration procedure. On the stores' end, it cuts down the use of plastic, reduces the associated costs, and allows for obtaining more accurate customer data, as verification with a mobile device eliminates the chance of misspelling the phone number.

To date, only 20% of customers issue plastic cards, while previously this figure reached 77%. This points to the project's timeliness and relevance.