Convenience Store

How would you like to increase the profitability of each of your C-Store locations.? Electrum Corporation introduces a service that has been created specifically for the C-Store market with input from executives in that industry. The service gives you the ability to increase sales through payment choices and loyalty programs while at the same time reducing payment acceptance cost, particularly as it relates to those very expensive credit cards.

Instant in-store sign up kiosk stations

Electrum offers a customer facing kiosk.  We think this feature it vital to the success of the program because it provides excellent and consistent consumer support and because the C-Store does not want its store clerks distracted from their primary role in providing assistance to your customers.  They are too busy and turn-over is too great

The kiosk has a mag stripe reader and optional bar code scanner and a printer.  The monitor is a touch screen with the keyboard at the bottom of the screen.  Each letter input by the consumer emits a sound to ensure accuracy of input.  The kiosk offers the following capabilities.  The functionality and content is customized for each merchant so if you desire different functionality, the same technology we use for our web site makes it easy to make those changes.

Enrollment

Electrum offers two types of cards from which to choose.  The merchant makes the decision as to whether to offer both or only one of these card types.  One is a rewards only card and the other is a private label debit card that allows the consumer to both receive their rewards and pay for the purchase from their checking account.  Currently, we collect the following information on enrollment but again, this is customizable.

• Name
• Address
• Phone number
• Cell phone
• Cell carrier
• Email address
• Birth date
• Driver’s license

There is a tab explaining that we will use the cell information to only send text messages to the cardholder with special incentives from the C-Store.  There is an opt-out feature for consumers who wish not to receive texts.  Additionally, a consumer either can use the kiosk or web site to change this status to opt in or out of text messaging.

If you decide to offer the branded debit card and the consumer decides to sign up for it, there will be an additional screen that asks for banking information and government ID. 

In addition to enrolment, the kiosk currently offers the following functionality.  You may add to or change any of these elements.

• A “Tell Me More” button – This gives the consumer an overview of the program and its benefits and includes an FAQ section.  This is an important element in that the clerk does not have to be trained to sell a consumer on the benefits
• Points and transaction history – This tells the customers how many points they have and details each transaction that has occurred in all the locations
• Convert points to a benefit – Use this button to convert points into one of your give-aways.  There is a printer connected to the monitor in the event some type of script, bar code or number needs to be printed for redemption.
• Sweepstakes – If there is a drawing coming up for a prize, you will be able to enter or see how many chances you have in the electronic drawing.
• Clubs – You can see how many clubs there are and how many purchases you have made toward getting a free item.  For example, you can offer a coffee club that offers a free cup of coffee after buying five cups.  The customers will be able to see on the kiosk how many items they have purchased.
• Store specials – This button lists the specials that are available in the specific store that day only for loyalty cardholders.
• Lost/stolen button – In the event a cardholder loses the card, s/he can use this button to report the loss and swipe a new card for registration and their points and other benefits automatically transfer to the new card.
• Change profile button – Gives the customers the ability to change any of their profile data or to opt in or out of text messaging

Electrum offers the following loyalty programs today. 

• Points program
• Award points based on SKU – this gives you the ability to award more points on higher margin products and fewer points on lower margin products.  Segment your products into as many categories as you would like and award points based on the category; fewer points for low margin items and more points for higher margin items.
• Allow a customer to redeem points based on margin – It takes more points to redeem for a low margin item and less points to redeem for a high margin item
• Allow a customer to earn bonus points upon redemption of a coupon – The cardholder may receive no points for a very low margin item but many bonus points for a high margin item.
• Instant discounts
• based on SKU, product code, brand, size or vendor
• Ability to enforce “multiples” sales – 2 for the price of X, 3 for the price of Y, etc.
• Based on buying history
• Based on any event of the merchant’s choosing such as holidays
• Special promotions
• Award prizes based on purchase history – If customers buy a specific amount or item in a stated period of time, they get a reward
• Wins based on purchase history
• Random wins
• Clubs – Buy a certain number of a product and get the next item free
• Sweepstakes – two ways to provide chances
• The cardholder is entered into a drawing for a stated prize to be drawn at a stated time every time the card is used
• Enforce redemption of points for a chance in the upcoming drawing
• Pump activation for cash paying customers – We give you the ability to have your pumps turned on for cash paying customers with your rewards card.  Because the customer has pre-registered the card, you can turn the pump on with the swipe of their rewards card with the same device that reads SKU at the POS, which will be connected to your pump controller.  The customers can pump the amount of gas they would like and then come inside to pay.  Cash paying customers really enjoy this feature and many sign up for the program just to get this benefit.  Store managers like this feature in that it virtually eliminates drive-offs.  In the event there is a drive-off, there is a drive-off card provided to the store clerk.  S/he swipes that card and we automatically send an email to the property and to corporate with the name, address, phone number and driver’s license number of the driver.
• Customer can pay enable the card by giving us checking account information – Offer extra incentives for the consumer to use the pay enabled card and draw them away from using their credit cards and avoid the outrageous credit card fees.  Your own branded debit card will cost about half of your credit card rate.  Take control of you payments.  And unlike the credit card companies, you own the customer information, not them so you can market to them as you choose.

Electrum’s Electronic Payment Peripheral Device (EPPD) enables passive interfacing to point of sale devices to acquire data such as SKU and transaction total amounts and to drive printers to provide loyalty members instant information on their transactions, discounts, points, chances etc.  The power of the EPPD is that it performs these functions without the need of integration into store point of sale system.   Installation is easy by either Electrum’s installation vendors or by training your field maintenance personnel.

The EPPD is a solid state device with no moving parts and a full 48 month warranty.  Electrum provides full depot replacement in the unlikely event of failure or environmental events that may cause device damage.

Communicate Regularly with Your Customers

Electrum offers the following options as part of the program

• Emails triggered by the C-Store – content determined by C-Store
• Blast emails to consumers in your market areas pushing them to web or store enrollment for the loyalty service
• Blast messages go out to every cardholder
• Targeted messages based on buying habits
• Targeted messages to lost customers
• Emails triggered each time a cardholder uses his card
• Text messaging – content determined by C-Store
• Blast text messages go out to every cardholder
• Targeted messages based on buying habits
• Targeted messages to lost customers
• Text message triggered by an event such as when a customer uses his card at a gas pump and a text instantly appears with an inside store incentive
• Text or email the cardholder with a happy birthday message with an invitation to come to the store for a special birthday present
• Mobile web application
• Include daily discounts
• Special promotions
• Can be targeted by cardholder
• Use vendor money for switch marketing
• Because we have SKU data, we know that not only does a particular customer drink energy drinks but that he specifically drinks Red Bull.  We arm you with the information to effectively negotiate with Monster to put marketing dollars on the table to switch just the Red Bull drinkers to Monster.  Monster will offer more money because of the ability to do that pinpoint marketing.  We can text only the Red Bull drinkers with a special promotion for Monster.  Monster can receive profile and purchase data of consumers availing themselves of the offer.

Every aspect of Electrum’s service offering takes place in real time.  Starting with the kiosk, when a new consumer enrolls for the loyalty program, the enrollment profile data is entered directly into to our system at the moment the enroller selects submit.  The card, phone or fob (for purposes of simplicity, this identifying mechanism will be referred to as a card going forward even though it could be any of a number of recognized media or devices) can then be used immediately in the store.  When the card is used, discounts, points, instant wins, sweepstakes chances, etc. immediately will be awarded and reflected on the receipt.  At that point the cardholder can access the kiosk, web site on the back of the card or our IVR and see that purchase and associated loyalty award immediately.  Use of points for other program benefits is therefore immediate.

We offer all manner of support.  We have IVR, web and a 24/7 help desk as support methods.  The C-Store will have an easy to use web site for pulling numerous reports that track sales and success of the program.  You decide the data you need and the timeframe you want it for, enter it into the web forms and produce a robust report with just the data you need. 

You have to see it to believe it!

Call (800) 827-5871 ext. 301 for more information.