Myer is courting young shoppers this weekend in a “partner perks” deal with Uber.
Myer One members spending $100 or more online or in store on Friday or Saturday will receive a $40 Uber voucher.
SmartCompany understands it’s a deal that has been in the works for some time, with the department store looking to capitalise on current trends and expand its focus on digital strategy.
“We’ve had a good relationship with Uber over the past year,” a Myer spokesperson said.
Shoppers have to have an email address registered with their Myer One account, and after a purchase is completed an electronic voucher will be emailed to the shopper.
The aim is to capitalise on the number of shoppers and tourists that need transport during the coming weekend, which includes Victoria’s Grand Final Eve public holiday on Friday and Labour Day in New South Wales, the Australian Capital Territory and South Australia on Monday.
“With the AFL and NRL grand finals on this weekend we think there will be plenty of Ubers on the road,” Myer’s spokesperson said.
But there could be a catch – the e-voucher will be sent as a promo code to use with an Uber account “within 30 days of purchase”.
The amount also has to be used in one go – any unused portion of the fare will be forfeited.
Fine print aside, one marketing and branding expert has praised the department store for coming up with an outward-looking promotion that understands the way people travel and shop.
“When you plan or develop complementary brand promotions, you’re looking at those that target a particular demographic you are after,” says InsideOut PR director Nicole Reaney.
While many young shoppers might already have an Uber account, the deal does require that shoppers are members both Myer One and already use Uber, or are willing to sign up.
Reaney says this could potentially dampen the impact of the deal.
“The most successful promotions are ones that have limited consumer obstacles – so they can achieve the deal in one step,” she says.
Other established Australian retailers have done deals with tech giants over the past year, like Optus’ deal with Airbnb, which saw customers who booked international stays through the accommodation site get a $30 pre-paid SIM card.
Myer is one year into its strategic review and says that these kind of tie-ins could become more common in the future. In July, chief executive Richard Umbers told an audience at a British Chamber of Commerce lunch that the store’s goal was to maintain “relevance” to Australian shoppers.
Reaney says smaller operators need to know that deals with established businesses can be effective, but a lot of time goes into them.
“With larger corporates, they do tend to plan well ahead,” she says.
“The marketing contact at a larger organisation can take be difficult to find, and it does take some time to break in.”
If it works, though, the payoff could be goodwill from users who might usually go elsewhere to buy your products – and it’s something the department store might extend if shoppers respond well.
“Uber is something that is popular with our younger customers, so we’ll see how the promo goes,” says Myer’s spokesperson.
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