Following a stretch of about two years with effectively no loyalty program, New York City-based fast-casual chain Just Salad launched a new rewards system in early February, one specifically designed to break from the norm and focus on instant gratification.
Just Salad announced the launch of JS Rewards Feb. 2, intentionally straying from the traditional points-based loyalty model and instead offering a gamified alternative with automatic mystery rewards after each qualifying purchase and monthly freebies to members.
“We really wanted to reduce friction, because I think point-based systems tend to cause a bit of friction for guests,” Jen Lally, Just Salad’s chief marketing officer, said of the decision-making behind JS Rewards. “Guests get instant rewards. They know right away what they’ve unlocked. There’s no tracking of balances. We really want to create an emotional connection with guests, so we feel like this immediacy really does that.”
Guests can join the rewards program through the Just Salad app or by visiting the brand’s website. Once enrolled, eligible purchases of at least $12 earn customers a free “mystery bowl” in the app, which must be opened within 24 hours and redeemed within the following month. Rewards may include free menu items, such as salads, bowls, smoothies, snacks and drinks.
JS Rewards also features a virtual stamp program, which unlocks free menu items redeemable for a year. Additionally, all JS Reward members receive unique drops, including free items, each month.
“We’ve really flipped traditional loyalty programs upside down with this launch,” Lally said. … “Innovation is something core to the brand, from our culinary (approach) to our technology. So those are definitely things that were taken into consideration as we were thinking about reimagining this program.”
Just Salad partnered with loyalty platform Hang for JS Rewards, according to Lally. The program soft-launched last summer, and brand leaders felt the new user experience improved overall performance.
The brand, which boasts more than 100 locations across the Midwest and West Coast, is kicking off the loyalty program launch with a “Week of Free” initiative, offering new members daily drops for free items through Feb. 13.
