Sam’s Club, Wal-Mart’s warehouse chain, has introduced eValues-a programme that aims to provide personalised offers for each member, depending on their previous shopping behaviour. The eValues programme is only available to members who pay a higher yearly membership than regular members. These members can view their offers through e-mail, the Sam’s Club website or kiosks placed inside the stores.  Industry members consider this a groundbreaking move and expect many other retailers to follow suit by offering shoppers individualised discounts and offers. Most retailers today offer across the board discounts aimed at different categories of shoppers. Linda Vytlacil, Vice President for Member Insights And Innovation at Sam’s Club, said that earlier, coupons had a response rate of 1–2 per cent. However, with the introduction of eValues, this response rate has increased drastically, with as many as 20–30 per cent of the eligible customers availing of these coupons. There are no physical coupons and each Sam s Club Plus member is required to present his membership card at checkout. The discounts and offers are automatically applied after the purchase is made. |
