Tuesday, June 11, 2013

Printing On Plastic Cards Is The New Black

By Liliana Mills


Things come and go in our society and sometimes when they "come" they do so with a bang. Such is the case with the old new trend of printing on plastic cards. Much of this started years ago with loyalty cards from grocery stores and other such places. Stores were looking for a unique way to increase business and sales and they found a new way to do it.

These programs started years ago with a single chain of grocery stores. They were looking for a way to retain their customers and get them to spend more. People were noticing that they could go to four grocery stores for their weekly shopping instead of one for all their needs. They found that they saved money buying things wherever they were the cheapest.

After earning a certain number of points the consumer could redeem those points for rewards. These rewards came in the form of coupons sent to the home, instant savings at the store, and sometimes free gifts. The programs were a resounding success and people everywhere wanted to get in on the act. But the most astonishing thing about the program was not the points.

These programs worked wonders and people were coming back to the stores in record numbers. Of course whenever something works well in one place, people notice. That is precisely what happened because it did not take long for other retail stores to notice what was happening and want in. So they found ways to get their own cards and start their own programs.

This feeling of belonging was just what they needed. With a renewed outlook on the stores they visited and a chance to save extra money without having to go through the hassle of clipping coupons and carrying them around, people loved it and it showed in the sales. People were starting to come back to the single stores again.

It was perfect because now it was always with the consumer no matter where they went and it acted like a moving billboard for the retail location. Everywhere the consumer was and had their key chain out on a table or in their hands, people could see and read the card that was hanging from it. They could see that their friend shopped at a particular store.

This might have been the best thing to come out of the program yet. This is a fact because now every store does it. With a simple application process which is just basically to gather your personal information, because everybody gets a card, you will have one right away. You can start saving instantly.

Printing on plastic cards was booming for everyone. The stores loved it because it was helping them make money by retaining their consumers and generate loyalty. Customers loved it because they saw it as a great way to save money on expensive items. Everyone got into the action and everybody was reaping the benefits. After a few years it seemed you could not go anywhere without seeing these on someone's keys.




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