New Seasons’ Gift It Program Generates $30K for Local Organizations

Last month, we published an article about B Corporations. We sought to emphasize that those who bear the certification don’t do it for show; rather, these organizations operate based on their value system, prioritizing the mission for good above all else.

One such example is New Seasons Market. The Portland-based grocer is a community market focused on building and nourishing the communities they serve, and happens to be the first grocer in the world to receive B Corp status! If you want to read something that will put a smile on your face, and just might restore your faith in corporate America, check out their 2019 Impact Report. In it, you’ll learn about everything they’ve done to help their community and the planet more generally, from eliminating several single use plastics to offering parental leave to donating $6.5 million dollars to local nonprofits since 2000 (!!!).

Ideas > Things

At Clutch, we talk a lot about the importance of knowing your customers. Understanding their motivations. Really getting who they are as people. On the surface, this may seem like a way to know their taste in things, but the deeper and more impactful insight is to know their taste in ideas. New Seasons Market gets this 100%. So much so that it’s hard to tell where the brand ends and the customer begins.

From the successful launch of their Neighbor Rewards loyalty program to their most recent Gift It giving feature, the engagement and excitement around each new initiative speaks to a true understanding of the community they serve.

Tis Better to Gift It than to Receive

When the COVID-19 pandemic hit in the US, many people were looking for ways to help those in need, but the fear of contagion and mandatory quarantine made it difficult.

New Seasons’ mission is to support the local community, and in February 2020 they swiftly implemented a new feature to their Loyalty program that did just that.

The Gift It program lets customers give their Loyalty rewards dollars to a local community partner or non-profit instead of redeeming them at their next visit.

The initial response to COVID-19 was huge, but it hasn’t stopped there: since its launch at the end of February 2020, Neighbor Rewards members have given over $30,000 to local partners. This is not just a testament to the generosity of the New Seasons customer, but reiterates just how in tune with their shoppers they are to create a program that was so well received.

Here are a few highlights from program so far:

In just 8 months, customers have given over $30K to local partners: Oregon Food Bank and Meals on Wheels People

In 2021, customers will be able to select from a number of partners featured for Gift It, using a simple drop down menu of options

Compared to other Neighbor Rewards members, those who participate in the Gift It program are more frequent and loyal customers

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The Neighbor Rewards loyalty program and Gift It initiative are great examples of engagement strategies that hit home. Loyalty program members support New Seasons’ mission of nurturing the community, and demonstrate their agreement by participating in it with them. The numbers tell this story in black and white: they choose the grocer over other alternatives, they give, they spend more of their dollars with them.

But, as demonstrated by New Seasons and over 3,500 other B Corporations out there – it’s not just about sales of products. It’s about aligning with a brand’s values and joining them in their quest for a better, kinder, more equitable world.

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