BNS Group

BNS Group of Companies has been in the retail market since 1997 and has been developing Calvin Klein Jeans, Calvin Klein Underwear, MEXX, Michael Kors, Paper Shop, SIA, Topshop, Topman and other brands in Russia. The exclusive rights to well-known brands allowed the company to gain a reputation of a progressive player in the fashion retail market in Russia.

BNS Group offers customers fashionable clothes and accessories of the best brands in the world. The company is committed to expanding business and building long-term relationships with business partners.

The unified loyalty program “BNS Club” unites 10 fashion brands: Armani Jeans, Calvin Klein Jeans, Calvin Klein Underwear, KORNERS, MEXX, MICHAEL KORS, POLO Ralph Lauren, Tommy Hilfiger, TOPSHOP, TOPMAN.

You have recently launched a new loyalty program for your customers. Tell us in brief about the new "BNS Club"?

In October 2016, we launched the unified bonus loyalty program “BNS Club”, which brings together almost all brands of the BNS portfolio and gives customers the privilege to make purchases in different brands. For example, if MICHAEL KORS seems too expensive, the card bonuses for purchases in other shops of the BNS Club makes it possible to spend them at MICHAEL KORS and makes this brand more accessible. In other words, one of the important advantages for the client is the opportunity to take advantage of bonus points and be aware of special offers across the entire brand line, being the owner of one multi-brand card.

How successful is the migration of customers to the new loyalty program?

To date, about 70% of active buyers have already changed monobrand cards with a single BNS Club card. This is an excellent indicator, given the mechanics of replacing the card by our customers on their own through retail. Most buyers have already taken advantage of the accrued bonuses when replacing the card to pay for the purchase. Our customers are very loyal to a particular brand or to their shopping center. Therefore, we do some of the communication on behalf of the loyalty program, and some on behalf of the brand. For example, notices of Calvin Klein Jeans seasonal sales are sent to buyers of this brand on behalf of the brand.

What channels are you currently using to communicate with the consumer?

The SMS communication channel, in our opinion, is one of the most effective. In terms of response. The optimal conversion rate for our marketing newsletters is 3.5-4%. Thanks to the introduction of CRM, we see a response for each promotion and try different marketing mechanics to understand what buyers are responding to better.

How do you track the mailing list response?

These are mainly transactions using loyalty cards during the promotion period. We use promotional codes in SMS mainly when holding promotions aimed at encouraging loyal customers with gifts. Otherwise, it “cheapens” the brand, and the BNS Club brands belong to the “medium” and “medium plus” segment. Sometimes we provide a link to the Lookbook posted on the site so that buyers can get acquainted with the new collections.

How effective is E-mail as a communication channel?

In my opinion, E-mail marketing works well in conjunction with an online store, when the buyer can be led to the desired product or collection in “swirl”, giving the opportunity to buy the favorite product immediately. When receiving a bonus card, only 15% of our customers provide their email address, plus the absence of an online store for almost all brands from the BNS Club portfolio. E-mail newsletters are focused on informational involvement - to visually demonstrate the news of the season, to describe special offers more colorfully, etc. In a word, a lot of content, both good and useful.

What are the possibilities of the "BNS Club" card online?

On the website of the loyalty program there is a personal account where the user can find out the balance on the card, change contact details, set up subscriptions, or unsubscribe from mailings. There is also a mobile application for iOS and Android, where you can register your card and continue to use the phone without the need for plastic. All promotions are published on the mobile app. There you can find a list of stores in your city, as well as see your check for purchases.

Is there an opportunity to buy or order goods online?

Our company has only one online store that sells discount goods - Paper Shop, but it is not included in the BNS Club, and all other brands are represented only in the retail network. Particular emphasis is made on social networks, where our audience communicates, learns about new products for each of their favorite brands, asks questions to representatives and participates in various competitions. Each of the brands has international accounts in social networks, which are developing very dynamically and are gaining momentum in terms of growth and activity of the audience. We are also actively developing our presence in all popular venues for the "BNS Club", where you can learn about existing offers and new collections. We are practically the only loyalty program that actively maintains its pages on social networks.

Elena Krasnykhina, Head of Customer Relations Department, BNS Group