Sobeys is using an old-school marketing method to promote its new line of Jamie Oliver kitchen knives.
The grocery chain has launched a stamp collection program that allows shoppers to collect stamps to earn free knives. For every $10 spent on groceries, customers earn one stamp.
The number of stamps required to redeem for a free knife ranges from 30 to 70, depending on the product. Customers who would like to fast track their redemption can also redeem with fewer stamps plus a small cash outlay, or purchase the knives at the full retail price.
An eight-inch bread knife, for example, is free with 60 stamps, or 50 stamps plus $4.99. Customers can also pay the retail price of $59.99.
“While collecting stamps may not seem very modern in our technological world, our customers greatly enjoy it,” says Gillian Kerr, vice-president of brand marketing at Sobeys.
“We’ve learned the act of collecting and placing stamps in booklets gives them a great sense of accomplishment, a feeling of completing a task, or working towards a goal.”
Sobeys ran a similar stamp program in 2013 and 2014 with Jamie Oliver dishware, which Kerr says was very successful.
There are a few objectives with the stamp program, the first being to reward loyal customers and keep them shopping at Sobeys, says Kerr.
“Secondly, we are focused on giving secondary or more infrequent customers a reason to return to Sobeys more regularly,” she says. “Finally, this is one of our many campaigns to build awareness of our partnership with Jamie Oliver. The program has been very popular with our customers, and many are collecting complete sets.”
The stamp program is being promoted in stores with point-of-sale materials and customer takeaways, and is also featured in the weekly flyer. Customers can also visit the Better Food for All site to learn more about the program and watch videos featuring Jamie Oliver, who gives tips on how to use each knife.
Safeway, which was bought by Sobeys in June 2013, is running its own stamp collection program. The program runs until March 3, and similar to Sobeys, shoppers receive one stamp for every $10 spent. Customers can redeem stamps for various wine, beer and cocktail glasses produced by German glassware company Spiegelau.
Safeway ran a stamp collection program last year where shoppers could redeem stamps for Zwilling knives.
This article originally appeared at CanadianGrocer.com.
