As published by Retail NZ: The Register, October 19, 2021
This year, the iconic Kiwi programme Flybuys celebrates its 25th anniversary and the continued success of its long-standing business journey, attracting new members and offering new rewards along the way.
Interwoven into the fabric of New Zealand society, Flybuys has a special place in the heart of many Kiwis. With over 300 million Flybuys points redeemed every year, the programme has allowed countless New Zealanders to treat themselves to purchases they otherwise may have had to go without. In the past 12 months alone, a staggering 1.4 million items have been purchased through the Flybuys store, giving a massive $65 million worth of value back to members.
Loyalty New Zealand’s Chief Customer Officer, Bridget Lamont, acknowledges that consumer demands and expectations are constantly transforming, and their challenge is to ensure Flybuys reflects this.
“Adapting to rapidly changing trends, behaviours and interests have been vital to ensuring we’re continuously providing value to Kiwis – something we take immense pride in,” says Lamont.
“Following the relaunch of Flybuys last year, members now have the option to be rewarded in three different ways – either with Flybuys Points to spend at the Flybuys store, on New World Dollars which members can spend at New World supermarkets, or on Z & Caltex Fuel Discounts which can be used to save on fuel at Z or Caltex service stations throughout New Zealand.”
Nearly half a million New Zealanders have chosen their preferred Flybuys currency since the relaunch, and as a result, there has been a significant increase in the number of Kiwis being rewarded by Flybuys every month. As the business continues to evolve and shift with the times, it’s seen an incredible rise in younger members signing up – 40% of all members who have used Flybuys for the first time in the past 12 months are under 29 years old.
“This shifting demographic is, in part, thanks to the launch of Flybuys Extras earlier this year. Flybuys Extras provides members with access to discounts, bonus offers, and deals in categories such as domestic tourism, food and beverage and hospitality, and high street retail. This marks another evolution for Flybuys as members don’t have to use any of their hard-earned Flybuys points to reap the benefits of these sorts of rewards,” says Lamont.
“These combined transformations to the Flybuys programme have seen Flybuys continue to be seen as being woven into the fabric of Kiwi society,” continues Lamont. “Today we have almost three million members. To put this into perspective, that’s at least one Flybuys card in every single New Zealand household.”