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Spooky Halloween: Shopkick Edition

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Halloween isn’t just for the kids — we grown-ups deserve some tricks and treats too! If you’re hosting a Halloween party and want to keep things fun and freaky, we’ve got you covered. Here are five playful (and creepy) ways to surprise your family and friends with a night they won’t forget:

1. Spike the Punch… with a Frozen Hand

Add a chilling touch to your party punch! Fill a clean rubber glove with water, tie it off, and freeze it for a few hours. Once frozen solid, peel off the glove and drop the icy hand into your punch bowl. It’s spooky, unexpected, and makes for a great conversation starter

2. Spider-Infested Soap

Give your guests a mini jump scare in the bathroom. Place small plastic spiders inside a clear hand soap dispenser. The more realistic, the better! They’ll do a double-take — and maybe think twice before washing their hands.

3. Scary-Good Dinner Ideas

Want to level up your Halloween dinner? Add black food coloring to boiling water before cooking pasta or rice to turn your meal delightfully dark. Think vampire linguine or monster mac. It’s eerie, easy, and totally Instagram-worthy.

4. Vampire Teeth in a Glass

If you’ve got overnight guests (or just want to give them a fright before bed), drop a set of plastic vampire fangs into a glass of water on the bathroom counter or nightstand. It’s creepy, unexpected, and just subtle enough to make someone jump.

5. Googly-Eyed Ghost Wreath

Make your entrance unforgettable with a DIY Halloween wreath. Hot glue white ping pong balls to a foam wreath form, then attach small and large googly eyes to each one. Hang it on your front door for a fun and freaky welcome.

From eerie décor to creepy kitchen tricks, these Halloween ideas are sure to get your guests howling. Stock up on everything you need — and don’t forget to earn kicks while you’re at it. Happy haunting and kick-or-treating!

Drive Incremental Sales in 2021 and Beyond

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Driving incremental sales is a crucial goal for modern businesses. For brands and retailers, a major indicator of success can be found in an increased number of leads, customers, or sales, that wouldn’t have occurred without a specific marketing campaign. In this post, we’ll discuss what it means to drive incremental sales and which strategies you can implement to get started.

What are Incremental Sales and Where Do You Start?

Simply put, incremental sales are a way to gauge the success of a marketing campaign. Specifically, the concept refers to measurable results — the increase in the number of units sold — of a marketing activity or promotion. In order to measure the incrementality of a marketing campaign, you’ll first need to identify baseline sales figures and establish key performance indicators (KPIs). 

Baseline sales figures are foundational. In order to know exactly how well your marketing campaign performs, you’ll need to know how your business performs without it. This requires research into historical sales data to find a rare period that was not supported by a marketing promotion. Once your campaign has completed, and you have both baseline sales and total sales, you can determine incrementality by calculating the difference between the two.

Although the difference between new and baseline sales is the key incremental sales KPI, there are other related KPIs you may want to track as well. For instance, you may want to know your new customer percentage to determine how much value to place in a specific strategy or partner. Perhaps it would be helpful to calculate participated revenue, the amount of revenue generated by an affiliate partner who came into contact with the customer at some point during the sales process. Or, you can track sales completed in less than five minutes with the quick conversion rate formula.

Once you’ve calculated baseline sales and determined your KPIs, you can now explore different strategies and tactics to actually drive incremental revenue including:

  • Utilizing contextually relevant offers and incentives 
  • Building trust and brand affinity to influence more frequent purchasing 
  • Expanding your target audience to reach new customers

Strategies to Drive Incremental Sales

Utilizing contextually relevant offers and incentives

Contextually relevant point-of-purchase offers can drive unplanned impulse buys by influencing consumer behavior in the crucial moment of purchase decision. For example, a personal care brand is looking to drive incremental sales across its full product portfolio. When a shopper makes their way to the shaving aisle with the intention to buy a pack of razors, a contextually relevant promotional offer at the point of sale may incentivize the shopper to not only purchase razors, but also shaving cream and aftershave lotion, resulting in a larger basket size and an unplanned, incremental sale. Aside from product bundling, consider the use of rewards at the point of purchase to avoid the use of margin-diluting coupons, discounts, or cash-back incentives.

Build trust, affinity, and loyalty

Building trust and brand affinity can drive incremental sales by influencing consumers to purchase your brand more frequently, and over competitors. One study found that 81% of customers feel the need to trust a brand before making a purchase, and while a good reputation may get consumers to try a product, 87% said they’ll soon stop buying it unless they come to trust the company behind the product. 

So, how do you generate trust? There are several avenues to consider. Today’s consumers want to support brands that align with their values, and that are authentic. Finding a way to tell your brand story and connect with consumers in a meaningful way is a key to building trust. Consumers also value consistency and respond well to seamless messaging and experiences across all channels. 

While driving incremental sales is the end goal, brands can’t lose sight of what’s important —  the customer. When today’s consumers have a negative experience, it’s crucial that brands not only listen but act on their feedback. Building this genuine level of trust and affinity will in turn lead to more frequent purchasing, increased basket size, and incremental sales.

Expanding your target audience

Another way to drive incremental sales is simply by expanding your target audience to reach a larger customer base. A third-party rewards app with a large existing user base is a great way to reach new customers. Apps like Shopkick not only help brands and retailers tap into a unique audience, but can also help them increase loyalty and incremental sales amongst existing customers. In fact, 50% of all spend driven by Shopkick is incremental, with 63% coming from new customers and 37% coming from increased loyalty of existing customers by influencing them to spend more or purchase more often.

Measure, Test, and Tweak

Once you’ve planned and executed your incremental sales campaign, you’ll need to measure and analyze the results in order to determine its effectiveness. Whether your campaign was a success or didn’t perform as you’d hoped, experiment with different variations of your campaign, and optimize your strategy based on learnings from historical successes or failures. You may decide to increase or decrease your pricing structure, test out different advertising channels or platforms, or make changes to your messaging. 

Drive Incremental Sales with Shopkick

Understanding how to drive incremental sales is fundamental for marketers, as an increase in sales represents true success in marketing efforts. By leveraging contextually relevant offers, building trust and affinity, and expanding your target audience with a third-party app like Shopkick, you can boost incremental sales while also keeping customers engaged, earning their trust, and rewarding them for their loyalty. When Kraft partnered with Shopkick to drive sales across multiple brands in the holiday season, Shopkick’s unique rewards model drove an impressive 7.6:1 ROI, and 55% of purchases were incremental.

Shopkick is an established mobile rewards shopping app that helps brands and retailers keep their stores, brands, and products top of mind throughout the entire shopper journey, driving incremental engagement and sales. We have a proven track record of helping mobile marketing spend go further by collecting real-time actionable first-party data for our partners. To learn more about how Shopkick can help your marketing strategy and build brand affinity, contact our team.

Skincare For Beginners

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With millions of skincare products out there, it can be difficult to figure out what works for you. Especially when you add magazines, beauty blogs, friends, and family members are constantly giving you recommendations that aren’t necessarily compatible with your skin type. Even so, you must persist! Your skin is your largest organ and needs your help to protect it and keep it healthy. So, if you’re interested in finding the right products for you, keep reading.

YOUR SKIN TYPE

Before you build your skincare routine, it’s important to understand your skin type. Check out this quiz to determine your skin type! There are five different skin types: oily, dry, combination, sensitive, and normal skin. Check out this quiz to determine your skin type! Because everyone’s skin is unique, it is unlikely that products that work for one person will also work for you. 

YOUR ROUTINE

The most basic and essential steps of skincare boil down to three things:

1. Cleansing: twice a day. Once when you wake up and once before you go to bed, unless you have dry skin. If this is the case, it is best to rinse your skin with water in the mornings then with a cleanser at night. Cleansing is especially important for oily areas that clog your pores and keep bacteria in your skin.
2. Moisturizer: This step is for everyone, even if your skin is naturally on the oily side. There is a moisturizer for you!
3. SPF 30 (or higher): If you chose to do nothing more for your skin, this step is the most important. Protecting your skin from the sun is the best defense against skin cancer. We encourage you to research the best of each for your skin type. 

There are optional steps (exfoliating, masks, and serums) that you can choose to add to your basic routine. As you develop your routine, be patient and consistent. Skincare doesn’t have to be expensive and there are many brands such as Curology and Skinsei to help you customize your routine. Everyday you’re getting closer to healthier skin. 

7 Ways to Maximize Small Spaces

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Decorating your home can be a difficult task, especially when decorating small spaces that may keep you away from your dream decor. We did the leg work, and focusing on specific design elements can actually make your space feel a lot larger. Here are some tips and tricks to help you achieve all of your design goals in a small space!

1. Paint the walls a light color

This hack is tried and true! If you love color and find it hard to part with your colorful walls, compromise and paint an accent wall for some spice! White is the go-to, but any lighter base will make the room feel more spacious. 2.\

2. Use different colors to differentiate each area

Color coordination is super eye-pleasing. It can also be useful when you want to separate different parts of a room for different purposes. You may be thinking, “Won’t that look inconsistent?” And, the answer is yes, only if you don’t use colors that complement each other!

3. Buy full-size furniture

This may sound crazy, but decorating with small furniture actually makes rooms feel and look smaller. Especially if some pieces are scaled to a bigger size. While scaled-down furniture may not be the solution to enlarging a small space, choice of furniture is very important.

4. Choose multifunctional furniture

Functionality is a major factor to consider in smaller spaces. Always opt for furniture with a dual purpose, like a couch with storage, or a cabinet that opens up to be a table. This will save some major space!

5. Maximize your walls

Instead of bulky bookshelves that sit on the floor, try installing some floating shelves! Though wall space is often neglected, being able to store things in places other than the floor can open up your space and help declutter other areas.

6. Mirrors

Create an optical illusion by adding mirrors around the room. Mirrors are a great way to make a room seem large and they can be really beautiful, too. We suggest having one at your entryway or in your bedroom!

7. Install artwork that sits higher on your walls

Displaying your artwork above eye level is yet another way to create the illusion of a larger space. This hack will make your ceiling look higher up!

At the end of the day, don’t let a smaller space stop you from creating your dream home. A small space is just another chance for you to get creative, so have fun and don’t be afraid to keep editing!

4 Ways to Celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month

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Hispanic Heritage Month is from September 15 – October 15. You may be wondering how you can celebrate this year and immerse yourself in the numerous traditions that go along with this celebration. Here are  a few ways to  celebrate this month:

1. Try a new Latin American based dish or recipe

With over 20 countries and cuisines to choose from, you are bound to find a dish you love. Ranging from Mexico, Latin America, and Spain, there are tons of different options and we guarantee you’re going to find a new recipe to keep on your list of favorites. Check out this list of the 20 Popular Hispanic Foods You Need To Try. Our personal favorite is ropa vieja – yum!

2. Host a game night

There are so many different games to bring to game night with Hispanic Origin. One of our favorites is Loteria. This is very similar to Bingo, can help you practice some Spanish, and may even win you some money! Careful to play this with your competitive friends though, things may get heated. Fair warning, we’ve seen it happen first hand. See here for how to play Loteria.

3. Take a dance class

Are you looking to get some exercise in a fun way? Take a dance class! Hispanic dances include Salsa, Bachata, Cumbia, Merengue, and so many more! Choose your favorite beat, grab a partner, and hit the dance floor! You’re bound to break a sweat, listen to some uplifting music, and most importantly, have fun!

4. Visit a museum

Immerse yourself in the history of Hispanic culture and art. With various museums located throughout the country, you won’t be disappointed with the amount of color, life, and passion in the murals, paintings, and artists. Many museums offer online exhibitions if there is not a museum located near you as well to feature less-explored aspects of Hispanic culture such as sports.

These are just a few ways to celebrate these vibrant cultures. Grab some friends, play some games over great food, admire beautiful artwork, or leave your mark out on the dance floor. The possibilities are endless, and we hope you have fun!

5 Solid Affordable Self-Tanners For Winter Time

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With the end of summer, our tans will begin fading in a month or so as we start to head indoors and hibernate from the chilly weather. Keeping a tan in the winter and fall is a pain– how do you avoid the harsh rays of a tanning bed without looking ghostly? At Shopkick, we believe in matching your outer glow to your inner beauty, which is why we’ve compiled our favorite self-tanners at every price point. Ready to tan?

1. Jergens Natural Glow Instant Sun 

Rated 4.5 stars, the Jergens Natural Glow Instant Sun Mousse is a safe pick for those craving a deeper tone glow. The product will give you the fruity scent of a beach bronze goddess, and come on, who doesn’t want that? This self-tanner dries in only 60 seconds, faster than you can say the title “Jergens Natural Glow Instant Sun” itself!
Price: $10.44

2. St. Tropez ​​Self Tan Classic Bronzing Mousse

Another excellent choice, this St. Tropez Bronzing Mousse sits at a higher price, but is well worth the splurge. This tanner is slightly more pigmented and boasts high ratings for its availability to hide varicose veins, mask wrinkles, and block odors from the skin.
Price: $42.00

3. SKBC Self Tan Mousse 

The SKBC Self-Tanning Mousse is formulated with vitamin C, giving it ultimate anti-aging power and sun protection. So, not only are you going to be glowing like it’s the middle of summer, you’ll be protected too! With other benefits like rosehip and sunflower seed oil, you’ll be nourishing your skin while smelling like a fresh summer’s day.
Price: $29.95

4. Neutrogena Build-A-Tan 

If you are looking to build your tan gradually, Neutrogena’s Build-A-Tan is the product for you! This product doubles as a daily moisturizer, so you replenish your skin while giving it a sun-kissed look. Get the exact look you would get from tanning outdoors for hours just by moisturizing!
Price:$8.60

5. Sephora Tinted Self Tanning Body Mist 

Want a glow without any goo? Try Sephora’s Tinted Self-Tanning Body Mist, a luxurious yet affordable mist that quickly dries without leaving any stickiness. And with their color guard spray, you’ll be able to see exactly where you’ve already applied. Just make sure not to get it in your eye!
Price: $19.95

We hope you find your glow, whatever that means to you! Whatever you decide, rock it with confidence, no matter the time of year. 

How to Prioritize Yourself & Your Kids While Back To School Is in Full Swing

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To all our Shopkickers with little ones — we see you. Between school pickups, packing lunches, and juggling work or home responsibilities, your own well-being can easily take a backseat. But self-care doesn’t have to be complicated or time-consuming.

Here are five simple ways to care for your body and mind — in just five minutes or less. Whether you’re in the car line, at your desk, or prepping dinner, these quick habits can help you reset and feel a little more grounded.

1. Breathing Exercises

A few deep breaths can do wonders. Lie flat on the floor if you can, placing one hand on your chest and the other on your stomach. Inhale deeply through your nose, exhale slowly, and focus on how your body moves with each breath. It’s a small pause that can release big tension.

2. Quick Yoga or Stretching

Even one minute of mindful movement counts. Stand tall, stretch your arms overhead, roll your shoulders, or reach down to touch your toes. Moving with intention — even briefly — helps improve circulation and eases tightness that builds up during the day.

3. Shoulder Rolls

This one’s easy to do anywhere — while cooking, working, or even sitting in the car. Roll your shoulders in big circles, then smaller ones. Reverse the direction and repeat. This simple motion helps loosen tension in the neck and shoulders, common areas of stress.

4. Keep a Calming Scent Nearby

Aromatherapy on the go? Yes, please. Carry a small rollerball, essential oil, or portable incense with a calming scent like lavender or eucalyptus. A quick inhale can help you pause, reset, and feel more centered.

5. Splash Cold Water on Your Face

Feeling overwhelmed? Step into the bathroom and splash cool water on your face. It’s a small physical jolt that can help regulate your nervous system and bring you back into the moment. Bonus: it feels incredibly refreshing.

Small Moments = Big Impact
Parenting is full of beautiful chaos. But you deserve care, too. These little rituals can help release built-up tension and bring moments of calm into your day — no extra time, budget, or setup required. The more you support yourself, the better you’ll feel showing up for your family.

 

Budget Friendly Fall Bucket List

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With autumn in full swing, it’s the perfect time to wrap yourself in cozy layers, spend quality time with loved ones, and soak up all the seasonal magic. We’re talking earthy tones, crunchy leaves underfoot, sweet pumpkin scents, and blankets so soft you could melt into them.

To help you celebrate everything this joyful season has to offer, we’ve created a simple fall bucket list to get you started:

1. Visit a Brewery or Grab a Fall-Flavored Drink

This time of year, breweries roll out their best seasonal brews — think pumpkin ales, toasted lagers, and spiced blends. If that’s not your thing, a hot cocoa or spiced cider works just as well. These cozy beverages are perfect for savoring with friends or while wandering a fall festival.

2. Enjoy a Free Art Museum Day or Local Festival

Check your local museum’s schedule for free admission days — it’s a great way to slow down and explore something new. You can also find fall-themed farmers’ markets, outdoor art exhibits, or small-town festivals filled with music, crafts, and treats.

3. Build a Fort and Watch Halloween Movies

Bring on the blankets and pillows — it’s fort time! Whether you’re snuggling in with your kids or having a nostalgic movie night with friends, a homemade fort makes the moment extra fun. Add snacks, flashlights, and your favorite fall flicks for a night of pure comfort.

4. Get Creative with DIY Crafts and Fall Baking

Cold weather = craft weather. Break out the supplies for pumpkin carving, candle making, or painting a festive doormat. In the kitchen, try baking pumpkin bread, spooky cookies, or classic pies. These activities are great solo or with company — and they’ll fill your home with fall warmth.

Soak in the Season
These ideas are just a starting point — fall is full of small moments worth savoring. Whether you’re out exploring or staying cozy indoors, we hope this season brings you comfort, joy, and a whole lot of happy memories.

4 Easy Fall Meals and How to Make Them

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Close your eyes and envision the crisp fall air around you – the crunch of leaves under your feet and the smell of s’mores… the fall season in full swing. Excited? Don’t worry – this vision will become reality before  you know it! We’ve found 4 perfect  fall recipes to give you a sneak peek of autumn a little early. Pot pie, stuffed roast, and casseroles, you name it. We love all foods relating to fall and can’t wait to show you how to make some of our classic favorites. You can make most of these within an hour, so why not give them a try? 

50 Warm and Cozy Fall Dinner Recipes | Taste of Home 

1. Stuffed Pepper Soup 

This easy recipe from The Spruce Eats minimizes the number of ingredients you need to make a classic stuffed pepper soup. Created with main elements you can find in your pantry already and only a couple of ingredients you will need to purchase, this recipe is undoubtedly one that will save you time and put you in the fall mood. (Quick and Easy Stuffed Pepper Soup Recipe (thespruceeats.com))

2. Thanksgiving Pizza 

You might read this recipe and think – what a weird combination of ingredients! Give it a chance, though, because you will be craving this Thanksgiving pizza well into November. (Quick and Easy Stuffed Pepper Soup Recipe (thespruceeats.com))

3. Pumpkin Bisque

This creamy, savory, and overall delicious pumpkin bisque is a classic. Come on… it’s got the literal epitome of fall as it’s the central ingredient – the pumpkin! This recipe feels like you just watched Halloween Town and put on a snuggie. (Savory Pumpkin Bisque Recipe | ChefDeHome.com) 

4. Fall Pear Salad

Splashed with red wine, olive oil, and topped with crumbled blue cheese – this salad is a canvas of fall colors on a plate. Topped with a crispy and light pear, it provides the perfect crunch for a light salad. With minimal ingredients and a prep time under 10 minutes, why wouldn’t you give it a try? (FALL PEAR SALAD {10 MINUTE MEALS} | You Must Love Food)

We are overly excited for the fall season here at Shopkick and are looking forward to everything that comes along with it! The shopping, the candles, the relaxing nights inside – and the FOOD! We believe every day should be a fall feast, because why not? These meals should get you just as pumped for fall as we are. Enjoy! 💙

2021 Holiday Expectations Study

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As the winter holidays inch closer, Americans are already starting to think about how they will approach the biggest shopping season of the year, especially after many of last year’s celebrations were put on hold. To gain insight on when, where, and how consumers will be shopping, and how sentiment has shifted since last year, Shopkick surveyed over 23,000 consumers across the country.

This first-party consumer study reveals key insights for brands and retailers as they prep and plan for the 2021 holiday season, including:

  • How the current economy and threat of continued inflation will impact consumer spending, and how holiday budgets compare to last year.
  • If consumers will conduct a majority of their holiday shopping in-store or online, and which factors will influence that decision.
  • Whether or not consumers will head to physical retailers or shop from home on major deal days like Thanksgiving Day, Black Friday, and Cyber Monday.
  • How consumers expect COVID-19 to impact their holiday shopping plans.

Access and download the report to our insights here.

CPG Industry Challenges 2021

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The global pandemic has had a double-sided impact on the consumer packaged goods (CPG) industry. On the one hand, stay-at-home lockdown orders spurred incredible demand for several categories of consumer goods. According to a recent study, CPG brands experienced more absolute growth in 2020 than in the four years from 2016 to 2019. As beneficial as this surge in demand was for many companies, it also caused temporary shortages across multiple essential CPG categories (famously, toilet paper) and led to a decline in brand loyalty when necessity trumped preference. 

There have been notable recoveries in both the fight against COVID-19 and in the stabilization of consumer packaged goods. Still, the CPG industry will face significant challenges in the back half of 2021 and beyond. Increasing production and shipping costs are likely to have the most direct impact on how competitive companies will fare amid rising inflation. And with consumers becoming increasingly price-conscious, CPG brands will need to find ways to increase profits without passing these costs along to consumers. 

Production and shipping costs continue to rise

Unfortunately, the CPG industry will likely continue facing price increases remainder of 2021 and beyond. The cost of raw materials rose 4.2% between March of 2020 and March of 2021, while labor costs for CPG manufacturers followed the same pattern. 

Shipping complications added on another layer of complexity for manufacturers. Due to high product demand across several categories during the pandemic, CPG companies had to improve their supply chains to ensure products remained on shelves. 

Yet any CPG manufacturer that relies on raw materials from overseas is likely still going to struggle with shipping, both in cost and time. A shipping container shortage, among other factors, has increased international shipping rates in the double digits. Domestically, the long-term truck driver shortage persists, despite increasing wages for drivers. 

Costs are getting passed on to consumers

With the continued rise of production and shipping costs, most CPG companies have been forced to pass these costs on to consumers. All told, the upward push from inflation could cause CPG prices to rise as much as 10% this year. This is undoubtedly concerning for many and could stand to wipe out the wage gains that many consumers have received amid an unprecedented demand for employment.

CPG companies can only pass a limited amount of their costs onto consumers before something gives. The highly competitive market for consumer goods leaves very little wiggle room for pricing too far upward. National CPG brands may find themselves especially conscious of this, given wider consumer interest in lower-cost private label options sold by retailers that often undercut name brands by a considerable percentage.

Rewards programs can deliver a competitive edge

The CPG market is already highly competitive and economic pressures are hitting companies from all sides. As inflation and production costs continue to rise and the potential for supply disruptions remains present, CPG companies need to establish new strategies to drive sales without passing cost burdens along to already price-conscious consumers. 

Considering one of the main challenges that CPG brands are facing is rises in costs across the board, the worst thing a company can do is further dilute profit margins by providing a discount. One solution could be to incorporate incentive programs that provide consumers with something valuable in exchange for their purchase, rather than just a one-time discount.

Incentive programs come in many shapes and sizes. While many use coupons and discounts to influence purchase behavior, this structure dilutes profit margins and drives one-time sales, rather than long-term loyalty and affinity. Others, like Shopkick, offer rewards points in exchange for purchase at full price. This structure allows partners to drive sales in a brand-aligned way without associating their brand or product with a discount. 

Tyson, for example, discovered the value in reward programs after a successful campaign with Shopkick that drove an impressive 4:1 ROI. Using our unique rewards model, Tyson was able to drive incremental sales amongst both new and existing customers without relying on margin-diluting coupons, discounts, or cash-back incentives. In fact, 62% of those who went on to purchase at full price were new or infrequent customers.

Implementing rewards programs like Shopkick can help CPG brands and retailers weather these difficult times through establishing meaningful relationships with customers, maintaining profit margins, and incentivizing shoppers to select your brand over competitors. To learn more about how Shopkick can help you succeed in 2021 and beyond, get in touch with our team.