Not Your Average Loyalty Program: Introducing Kith Loyalty
Everything you need to know about the Kith Loyalty program.
It's not easy to get excited about reward programs. Majority of em' are trash. You spend a bunch of money and get a discount that you'll never use or it expires before you get the chance. At most sneaker stores the discounts won't even apply to retros, collaborations or any exclusive drops.
Brand's like Kith move different. They get people's attention. Since opening a flagship Toronto location more people have asked me what is Kith? Kith is a multifunctional lifestyle brand operating across two planes, apparel or other goods and progressive retail spaces.
Besides a catalog of exclusive sneaker releases, Kith offers a wide range of apparel for men, women and kids. Their in house label complements curated pieces from notable brands like Stone Island, Rick Owens, Rhude, HumanRace, Essentials and more.
Established in 2011 by Queens (New York) native Ronnie Fieg, Kith has worked hard to deliver a quality product and experience. In 2015 Ronnie launched Kith Treats, an aspirational cereal bar concept based on his childhood love of cereal. Now operating out of 9 locations. Treats has become a staple within the brand. Attracting major attention, turning Kith retail locations into hot spots for tourism.
If you visit any of the Treats locations you'll be presented with a menu as exclusive as some of the sneakers they drop. Customer's get to choose from milk shakes, ice cream swirls and bowls of cereal hand picked by some of the biggest names in the sneaker industry. The a-list includes not only Ronnie and his wife, but Action Bronson, Lebron James, Virgil Abloh, Aleali May, Don C, Karrueche Tran and graffiti legend Futura.
Other locations like Toronto, Miami Design District and Paris, feature Sadelle's restaurants. A culinary experience and modern ode to a New York tradition of 24/7 dining. Serving "quintessential classics like bagels, sliced-to-order salmon, sandwiches, chopped salads, and other signature dishes, all served in a lofty, elevated setting".
So, how does Kith's new loyalty program stray from the norm?
Kith breaks the program down into two systems, the point system and the tier system. Let's understand the basics, before we get into the real magic.
The point system works like a regular point system. Members earn their points for every purchase made online, in-store or through the Kith app. 2 points for every dollar spent on the Kith brand and 1 point of every dollar spent on non-Kith purchases.
The three tier system - inspired by Kith's signature earth tones - is based off a customer's total points. As your points progress you'll move up the tier system. Earning rewards like access to special events, products, in-store returns and more.
According to Andy Oliver, Director of E-commerce at Kith, the back end of the app aggregates "12 years of historical orders across 8 online stores, and dozens of retail locations (Kith Retail and Kith Treats) to generate fully retroactive point totals".
They take it a step further by rewarding customers for all retroactive purchases. So, if you've copped anything in the past, you'll get points for that. Recognizing that people may use more than one email for purchases, the program allows members to merge points from another associated email.
The Different Levels of Kith Loyalty's Program Tiers & Point System
- Molecule: 0-1,999 points
- Elevation: 2,000-9,999 points
- Vitality: 10,000+ points
Other loyalty programs feature point expiration clauses and other "strong-arm tactics' like tier downgrading. Not Kith Loyalty. According to Andy, they pushed to give their customers the opportunity to accelerate their point earnings through what they call - Achievements. Bonus points for participating in activities online, in-store or the Kith app.
Achievements work hand in hand with - Moments. Kith's attempt at binding a customer's physical and digital experiences. "Customers can earn points without purchase by simply visiting geographic locations that are significant to Kith's legacy".
Kith's loyalty program already seems too good to be true, but there's more.
The most important feature of the tier system is the gained access. "We're rewarding customers with access". Meaning as you move up the tiers you're gaining early access to the latest collections, and exclusive access to tier-only releases.
Off the jump, they dropped an in-app exclusive capsule for the Molecule tier only. The capsule offered a range of product like tees, hoodies and caps that match the main event. A super exclusive release of the 8th St Gazelle Indoor by Ronnie Fieg for adidas Originals & Clarks Originals. The sneaker features classic Gazelle uppers with Clarks crepe soles in a soft shade of brown.
I give it a couple months. Then other big name brands in this same space will roll out loyalty programs to align with what Kith is doing.
Companies seeking to merge their customer's on and offline experiences isn't completely new. Nike built an entire .SWOOSH hybrid community. Last summer Under Armour announced their first loyalty program awarding points for completing challenges in the UA Map My Run app.
How do you sign up for Kith Loyalty?
Signing up for the rewards is easy. All you have to do is download the Kith app or login to your existing account. All accounts are automatically enrolled in the program.
For more information about Kith Loyalty click here.
@kith Welcome to Kith Loyalty™ - a point-based program that rewards our loyal supporters with exclusive and early access to products, experiences, and other benefits. Download the Kith App to learn more about this completely new and tailored experience.
♬ original sound - Kith - Kith
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