O2's Priority Moments service will allow SMEs to provide instantly redeemable special offers and discounts. Image courtesy of: Deb Collins/sxc.hu
O2 today announced the next phase in its
Priority Moments service with a local dimension – by opening it up over to O2 independent retailers and small businesses across the UK.
Small firms across the country will soon be able to create offers and experiences that are relevant, local and immediately redeemable, helping to drive footfall, build customer loyalty and boost profit.
In 2011, independent retailers opened three times as many stores as multiple retailers and although 12.669 percent shut up shop, independent small businesses now account for 66 percent of all retail and leisure units in the UK and increase of 2.4 percent. These figures, while painting a positive background of a nation of entrepreneurial retailers and small businesses regenerating their communities need to be viewed against the backdrop; from 2008 to 2012 the percentage of empty shops has increased from three percent to 14.5 percent where it has remained for the last 18 months.
The free Priority Moments service, which is free to use, provides participating small businesses with complete control and flexibility over the offers and experiences they create, from the type and quantity of the offer, through to the length of the promotion. Priority Moments will enable small companies to harness the power of
digital, mobile and location-based technologies, reaching O2’s 23 million-strong customer network, and putting their brand on the map directly with the consumers they want to reach.
With shoppers increasingly on the hunt for better value, special offers and unique retail experiences, Priority Moments enables local independent businesses to compete and gives local shoppers to opportunity to support their local retailers; encouraging business back to the high street and contributing to the local community.
Andrea Cohen from Number 35, a fashion designer and retailer said: “We trialed the offer for a week and we noticed an increase in footfall which enabled us to build relationships with customers that otherwise never would have considered buying our products. As an independent retailer, it’s difficult for us to compete with bigger brands, so that’s why it’s great to have access to a service like Priority Moments which gives us the sort of
marketing reach which is typically the preserve of multi million pound businesses.”
She continued: “While we are extremely proud of our brand, the majority of our time and resource goes on delivering a great service for our existing customers. Quick and easy to use services like this provide a huge boost to our marketing while freeing up the team to do what we do best, make great clothes.”
Ben Dowd, Business Director at O2 commented: “The great thing about Priority Moments is that everyone wins. The consumer wins, the British high street wins and the independent retailer wins. We know the level of competition is intense with independent retailers fighting to have their share of voice and trying to find modern and cost-effective ways to reach their customers. An ad in the local newspaper simply doesn’t cut it in today’s digital universe.”
He continued: “Priority Moments will directly address these issues by opening up the world of mobile to some of the UK’s smallest, most exciting high street businesses, while at the same time giving O2 customers on the high street an exclusive opportunity to discover a completely new side to their local area. No other company in this space has the direct, loyal relationship with the customer that O2 does. It’s an utterly unique proposition and one that we believe, in the long term, has the potential to transform the way our customers do business on the UK high street.”
To use the service, businesses will need to have a
physical location (like a shop, high street service, leisure/recreation attraction or food and drink outlet). It cannot be part of a chain or franchise and it must be a B2C company. It takes just three minutes to create and offer on Priority Moments, O2 process the offer and 24 hours later it is live. Once an offer has been created, pre-approved offers go live in a matter of hours. The offer is managed, controlled and can be updated by the business and the service has been specifically designed to be as flexible and responsive as possible.