The Association of Town & City Management (ATCM) has signed an exclusive agreement with MoLo Rewards to give the UK’s local independent shops the same mobile phone and smart card capabilities as the major retailers in the country. Using NFC contactless the technology created by market leader MoLo Rewards connects people with their local town centre’s shops.
ATCM Chief Executive Martin Blackwell, commented on the need for independent retailers to embrace the digital channel and hopes the new partnership will help them do so. “The joint-venture with MoLo Rewards is aimed at bringing mobile loyalty and reward within reach of independent retailers across the UK. We are organising meetings with key representatives of UK mobile network operators, card issuers and retail groups, and helping to shape the adoption of NFC technology.
So, after two years of collaboration and a 6-month pilot in Reading the ATCM is now recommending MoLo Rewards for the provision of couponing, loyalty and reward schemes by all its membership locations.
In order to differentiate this scheme from the variety of loyalty and reward schemes already operating, MoLo levels the playing field for independent retailers working in a multiple-dominated market environment, by allowing independents to create and manage their own coupons, offers and loyalty schemes. It also offers retailers the ability to reach tens of thousands of local consumers individually, bringing retail loyalty and rewards together with other key elements such as parking, public transport, facility access (think leisure centres), hospitality sector for proof of age ID, event access and even community non-profit engagement.
During the pilot in Reading, MoLo allowed retailers to create their own offers in their own time, directly onto the MoLo system; by connecting MoLo retailers to Reading Buses’ simplyBus card, 22,500 public transport users can access these offers. The second operational location is Bracknell, with significant involvement of the local authority through its 70,000 e+ smartcards distributed to residents, offering discounts and offers in leisure centres as well as local retailers.
MoLo is also working with key mobile industry partners and through the ATCM member network to help develop nationwide contactless infrastructure.
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