Holy wholesale! Boxed, the awesome online wholesaler, has launched with Shopkick. Stock up on just about everything you need and get free gift cards in return. When you visit Boxed or make purchases from them through the Shopkick app, you’ll be able to earn Shopkick points (called “kicks”). Redeem those kicks for free gift cards to stores like Best Buy, Sephora, and much more.
Bulk shopping means big savings
Wholesale sizes mean you get more for your money and shop less. Boxed delivers bigger savings without membership fees everywhere in the lower 48 states. What’s not to love about a 2 day shipping time? You even get free samples with your delivery! Boxed has the A+ lineup you need to stock up for back to school shopping in minutes. Don’t have Shopkick? Download it todayand join the millions of Shopkickers who have redeemed over $63.8 million in free gift cards.
With Target’s Cartwheel shutting down in a week, you might be left scrambling to find an app alternative. Don’t fret — here are some other apps that can replace Cartwheel and still save you money at Target.
Never miss a deal again with Retale. Check out weekly ads and circulars from local and national retailers (including Target). Find the best offers that save you money. Browse by product category (deals on pet food, anyone?) or by store. You can even get store locations and opening hours directly from the app!
With Shopkick, you can earn free gift cards to Target without even buying anything. Just open the app at the entrance of your local Target or grocery store, and scan products around the store in a fun treasure hunt to earn points (called “kicks”). Get bonus kicks if you purchase a featured product and submit your receipt in the app. Redeem your kicks for free gift cards to Target, Walmart, Amazon.com and much more. Don’t have Shopkick? Download it today.
Price matching is so much easier with Earny. Based on receipts emailed to your inbox, Earny searches for price drops on your recent purchases and claims the difference on your behalf if you didn’t get the best price. Earny will notify you on every refund you get. Earny always has your back.
SavingStar is a digital coupon app for thousands of grocery stores and drugstores that is linked to your individual store loyalty cards. You choose the digital coupons you want to use and the reward is applied to your loyalty card. When you reach $5 in savings, you earn cash!
Mobile coupons made easy — SnipSnap lets you take a picture of printed coupons and transforms them into digital, mobile-ready ones. You can also browse an online directory to take advantage of coupons that other friends have “snipped.”
Want stuff from Amazon without spending a dime? Shopkick, the free app that rewards you with gift cards for shopping online or at your local grocery store and mall, just added Amazon.com Gift Cards to their list of rewards. Amazon.com Gift Cards never expire and can be redeemed towards millions of items!
During your normal shopping runs, earn Shopkick points (called “kicks”) simply by walking into stores like Best Buy or OshKosh B’gosh and opening the app at the entrance. At the grocery, scan product barcodes around the store to earn kicks. It’s like a fun treasure hunt! No purchases are necessary to earn kicks, but you can earn bonuses if you make a purchase and scan your receipt.
When you’re at home or just browsing on your phone, earn kicks for visiting online stores like Groupon or Spring and making a purchase through the Shopkick app. In no time you’ll be racking up hundreds or even thousands of kicks! Redeem those kicks for $5-$25 Amazon.com Gift Cards or many other free gift cards from retailers like Best Buy, Sephora, Target, and Walmart.
Turn your next shopping trip into an in-store treasure hunt. Aside from the tons of fun you’ll have, you can also earn hundreds of Shopkick points (called “kicks”). You can redeem those kicks for free gift cards immediately to stores like Target, Walmart, and Amazon.com and much more. It’s that easy! All you have to do is open the Shopkick app and scan select product barcodes.Wondering where to find scans? Target, Walmart, drug stores and grocery stores typically have the most kicks for scanning, but be sure to check the Shopkick app for the latest inventory.
Look for the barcode icon on products in Shopkick.
Step 2: Visit a store with scans
Locate the product to scan (double check to make sure it’s the right one).
Step 3: Tap “scan barcode” open the camera
Hold up the camera to the barcode, and you’ll instantly receive your kicks!
Remember, you can only earn kicks for scans performed while in the store.
Here’s what Shopkickers love about scanning:
Shopkick spreads smiles one scan at a time! I love seeing other shopkickers in the store. It’s like a secret society when you both see that blue kick circle light up! – Michelle N.
My kids treat scans like a treasure hunt! We enjoy the time together and all get exercise walking round the stores. I’ve used my kicks to buy them gifts that were out of my budget. — Ashley G.
Ace back to school shopping while earning free gift cards when you get school supplies from Jet.com with Shopkick. Now you can earn points (called “kicks”) when you visit or make purchases from Jet through the Shopkick app, and redeem those kicks for free gift cards to Walmart, Sephora, Best Buy and more. That means for every item you check off your kids’ school shopping list, you earn something back for yourself!
What Can I Buy On Jet?
Shop everything from snack food to cat food and beyond. Save on everyday essentials and get free shipping with a $35 purchase. Thousands of items arrive within 2 days and returns are always free. What’s even more rewarding is now you can earn 4 kicks for every $1 you spend at Jet. Make sure you navigate to Jet through Shopkick to get credited for your purchase. New customers get 15% off their first three orders with the code SAVE15 (minimum order $35, max discount $20, ends 9/1/17). Shopping and earning have never been so easy.
Don’t have Shopkick? Download it now and start earning free gift cards.
Shopkickers love Jet, especially for back to school shopping! Common school supply lists are even broken down by grade level! Easy peasy! Save time and money, and get rewarded when you shop from Jet with Shopkick today.
When I joined Shopkick as CEO a little over a year ago, one of my first goals was to craft a clear vision and set of values for the company. Our vision became “to create rewarding shopping experiences anytime, anywhere.” Today, I’m pleased to share with you our progress delivering two key elements of this: “rewarding” and “anytime, anywhere.”
The dictionary definition of rewarding is ‘giving satisfaction, pleasure or profit.’ I am proud we have done this for our users in a few ways:
Helping users earn gift cards and prizes for what they already do in store: In our history we have given our users more than $58 million of gift cards and prizes for things they already do: visiting their favorite stores, interacting with new and popular products (via scanning), and watching videos and exploring content within our app. Of course, we also offer a high number of kicks for buying those products as well. Personally, I have 20,000 kicks and can’t wait to earn free Beats headphones with 30,000 more!
Getting users on the move and socializing with friends: To my surprise, we have heard from many users the social aspects of what makes Shopkick special for them. This can be re-connecting with a significant other or friends on the weekend by Shopkicking through cities or malls in the suburbs. I love the story of Surbhi from San Francisco who was Shopkicking with a friend and ran into other people doing the same. According to her, they “laughed about it and it created a bond between [them],” and new friendships were born.
Helping our users’ favorite charity win a $50,000 donation from Shopkick: By doing exactly what they do every day – walking into stores, scanning product barcodes and buying product – users can help your favorite charity win the big prize. The charities are Adopt A Classroom, American Red Cross, Feeding America, National Breast Cancer Foundation and Room to Read.
To deliver on our ‘anytime, anywhere’ promise, we are excited to share several new features for our users:
Rewards “anytime, anywhere”: Today we launched anew mobile commerce offering that works with the following online merchants with more to come: Apple, Boxed, eBay, Groupon, Jet and Spring. Now Shopkickers can take the kick-earning actions they do in physical stores and translate them to online rewards from the comfort of their own homes! By visiting a mobile retail partner while at home – the digital version of walking into a store – users will earn kicks. By browsing mobile offers and products – just like scanning a product in-store – users will earn kicks. And by purchasing online, like they would do in a store, our users will earn kicks, all redeemable for those gift cards and prizes!
More gift cards and prizes, including Amazon: Our users have told us that their number one gift card addition is Amazon. You can now redeem your kicks to earn Amazon gift cards in denominations of $5, $10 and $25. We will also be adding Crocs and several other reward partners in the coming months.
As you can see, we are relentlessly focused on “creating rewarding shopping experiences anytime, anywhere.” If you have more ideas or any feedback for me – and I will read it all – please don’t hesitate to reach me at ceo@shopkick.com.
In my next post, I’ll discuss our primary company value: putting our users first and obsessing about their experience. Until next time, enjoy your summer and happy Shopkicking!
The millennial generation has turned the concept of work on its head. Relationships are shifting from hierarchical boss/employee structure to more of a coaching focus with an emphasis on growth. Millennials expect work/life balance, lots of flexibility, and a collaborative culture.
Simultaneously, the explosion of big data that occurred as this group was entering the workforce has solidified a data-driven way of thinking and working across industries. Success is less about perception – how late you stay at the office or how many meetings you lead, for example. It’s based on meaningful, measurable results – and these are more available than ever thanks to the exponential growth of data.
Shopkick was fortunate to have Brian Wong, founder and CEO of Kiip and author of “The Cheat Code”, speak at our Shopkick Sessions event series. As the youngest entrepreneur ever to receive VC funding, he shared thoughts on how millennials – and managers of millennials – can get ahead, and the role of big data in business today.
Watch the full video or read some of the highlights below!
Shopkick: If you’re a millennial right out of college and entering the job market, what are skills you can leverage when you are lacking relevant work experience?
Brian Wong: I think experience by years is much less relevant in this current era where everyone has unprecedented access to information. Millennials can basically learn anything anytime they want, and they should leverage that ability to gather information and start developing their skillsets. Personal social media use also qualifies as experience. If you have 4 years of using Snapchat, that is digital experience that you can leverage to be proactive when interacting with older business executives who are trying to understand those platforms. There’s also intangible skills like passion and a youthful mindset, think like Richard Branson. It’s an asset to be consistently curious where you want to learn and question things, that’s sorely needed in the corporate world.
Shopkick: What type of company would you advise millennials to seek out initially: a startup or a more established corporation?
Brian Wong: The first company you work at is very critical. It’s the place where you get a lot of data points and valuable experiences. I learned a lot from working at a bigger more established startup, you especially learn a lot of what not to do, or what you don’t like doing. But the entrepreneurial vibe of startups is exciting, and things can happen quickly. Big companies are starting to wake up to this and breaking into the startup ecosystem. They’re learning how that engine works so they can feed off of that energy and innovation.
Shopkick: 44% of millennials expect to leave their current employers in the next two years. What’s your advice to retain top talent and keep your employees engaged? On the flipside, what would you advise a millennial to consider about before seeking a new opportunity?
Brian Wong: Engagement is a key piece to retention of younger staff. One of the biggest things to do as a CEO is to make sure your team is happy. In Silicon Valley there’s a running joke that you aren’t hiring anyone anymore, you’re just renting them, because employees jump around so much. One of the bigger tactics for retention I think centers around horizontality: people within our generation have this fear of getting stuck within a role. You must make it clear that it’s ok to swap positions, from sales to account management to design.
On the flipside, before leaving a company, millennials should make sure they’ve accomplished what they set out to do. If they’re growing and having fun, they should stay. If not, then they should get out of there.
Shopkick: Shifting gears over to Big Data.Millennialswant personalized experiences and with the help of Big Data, marketers and employers are now able to deliver. How are you enabling the use of Big Data at Kiip to leverage the relationships with both marketers and consumers?
Brian Wong: At Kiip, we get a lot of data, but the quantity doesn’t matter, it’s about what we do with it. For us and improving the product, the focus is on personalizing rewards. For every company, a good data strategy revolves around that most important objective. Personalizing rewards is our primary directive, with all other initiatives laddering up to that. We don’t stray from it, because the moment you stray, it can get very distracting because there’s so many other routes we could go. If your data strategy doesn’t have a purpose, you’re losing time and efficiency trying to experiment with too many different things.
Shopkick: So with companies now relying on data to make most decisions, what happens to your gut instinct? How do you intertwine your data and your gut to make the best decisions?
Brian Wong: It’s a mixture of art and science. For data-informed decisions, you ultimately have to realize how you make decisions as a person. For me, I make a lot of decisions based on what feels right, but if that data doesn’t confirm it, then I also have learned to give it a chance. I’m not so hard-headed to the point that where just because my gut says something means we can’t follow the data. Successful leaders are those that can balance between that art and science, by tapping into the left and right brain. That’s where we get the Steve Jobs and Elon Musks of the world.
If you’d like to be notified about future Shopkick Sessions, sign up for our newsletter. To watch other events from the series, check out the YouTube playlist.
Shopkick is excited to announce a new partnership with Watch Station, the premier retailer for designer timepieces. Now you can earn Shopkick points (called “kicks”) when you check into one of the 36 Watch Station stores nationwide — collect points and cash them in for free gift cards!
What Can I Buy at Watch Station?
Even in this era of gadgets galore, the humble wristwatch remains a symbol of technological advancement. Watches were the first “wearable tech,” after all. Think of the multitude of little gears precisely crafted and set to bring you reliable (and stylish) timekeeping. It’s no wonder watches are heavy favorites when it comes to gifts and accessory choices. From timeless to trendy to high tech, Watch Station carries iconic brands and jewelry perfect for every occasion. Shop styles from designers such as Kate Spade New York, Fossil, Marc Jacobs, and more. You’ll find a personalized experience that will leave you feeling fashion-forward and knowledgeable about the ever-evolving watch.
How to Earn Free Gift Cards While Shopping at Watch Station
Download Shopkick on the Apple or Google Play Store, and stop by your local Watch Station to rack up those points!
Many grocers and CPG companies are struggling to keep up with changing consumer preferences in the shopping and consumption of food. In the past, grocers didn’t have to prioritize driving traffic because shoppers didn’t have many other options. Yet with the explosion of new products, services and grocery entrants, it has become increasingly difficult for grocers to drive traffic to stores, to drive sales of higher margin center aisle products, and to build loyalty.
Our latest infographic covers struggles and opportunities in the grocery market in recent years:
Major CPGs are also facing stalling growth: The top 25 food & beverage companies in the US drove only 3% of category growth in 2015.
Trips to and spend at traditional super markets is decreasing: In the past 5 years, shoppers made 27% less trips per week and spent 33% less.
Traditional engagement drivers aren’t working like they used to: Retailers saw a 13% annual decrease in 2016 in coupon redemption.
Get the facts about the changing grocery environment, and how fun and engaging shopping experiences can drive store visits, product sales and loyalty in our latest infographic.
Is your brand prepared for the CPG shopping experience of the future? Is your retail store equipped? New, innovative technologies are powering the next generation of in-store experiences and beyond. These three tips will help you create an efficient, effective endless aisle strategy.
1.Reach Consumers Pre-Store During Micro-Moments
Busy schedules and long to-do lists have fragmented the average shopper’s attention span. Dedicated ‘shopping trips’ are becoming a thing of the past. Shopping now happens during small windows throughout the day, such as 20 minutes while waiting to pick up a child from school or arrive at an appointment.
Today’sconsumers place a premium on experiences, and these micro-moments offer an ideal opportunity to engage customers with educational videos or life hacks like timesaving recipes, money-saving offers, and product alternatives before they enter the store. Retailers, grocers and brand marketers need to build on the behavioral elements that drive purchase now and extend experiences across screens, beyond the store, and around the clock.
2.Focus on time spent, not clicks
App downloads are slowing thanks to a maturing ecosystem, dropping 20% among the top 15 US app publishers. However, a year-end analysis by App Annie found that time spent in apps is up by 25% over last year, so clearly this medium isn’t going anywhere. Apps remain an important touchpoint with consumers, indicating that engagement and frequency of use are the most accurate success metrics.
Consumer attention is the currency in marketing and advertising today. Retailers and brand marketers need to understand that it’s time spent that matters most, not click-throughs or downloads. As a result, it makes sense to focus more on immersing existing customers into the brand experience than enticing new customers.
3.Develop Mutually-Beneficial Campaigns for Customer and Brand
The strongest argument for interactive engagement in-store is that ‘endless aisle’ solutions benefit brands, retailers, and consumers alike. Cutting-edge marketing technology finally enables CPG marketers to achieve closed-loop attribution for their efforts, while retailers see additional foot traffic, more guidance and exploration in-store, and movement from the perimeter to the center aisles. Consumers have a more entertaining shopping experience, save money, and accumulate rewards simply for doing the shopping they’d already planned to do.
Your brand or store doesn’t have to build a record-breaking mobile app to succeed. Consider the role interactive technology plays in your current customer interactions and how delivering an out-of-the-box, endless aisle solution can deliver better results for your marketing efforts.
Don’t have Shopkick? Download it today and join the millions of Shopkickers who have redeemed over $63.8 million in free gift cards.
