Sometimes, the most mundane items are the most fun to buy. They are not glamorous products; rather they solve one or more commonplace problems around the home or office. What is fun is choosing the absolutely best product from among its competitors, based on performance and pricing. Savvy merchandisers know this, and often offer incentive programs to help build loyal clientele.
Let’s take for example the wonderful world of cleaning supplies. These range from soap pads to rust remover to laundry detergent. A rewards program allows a manufacturer/merchandiser to set its products apart from the competition. Often, the program is set up with a coupon system: collect a coupon with each purchase, and then turn them in for either free products or other incentives. This is especially useful for conglomerates that sell a full range of cleaning products. By building brand loyalty through a shared coupon incentive program, consumers learn to seek out particular brands just to collect the coupons, even if the product sought is not the price-leader.
Another favorite gambit is the instant discount for bulk purchases. In this program, consumers can enjoy a substantial savings by purchasing a minimum number of the product all at once. You might not have thought about buying six gallons of chlorine bleach at the same time, but it starts sounding good if you can get 40% off the bulk purchase. Let’s face it, you’ll go through the six gallons eventually, so why not take advantage of the low price now and stock up. Merchandisers know this works – it’s a win-win proposition.
Here’s yet another twist on the incentive game: packing free samples of related products when you buy a multi-pack of the prime product. For instance, if you buy a 12 soap bars at once, the manufacture may throw in a free same-brand bottle of liquid hand soap. You may never have thought about liquid hand soap before, but now you just might become a repeat buyer. The merchandiser has moved a dozen soap bars and has perhaps recruited a new consumer to a related product.
Janitorial businesses may benefit from bulk pricing of institutional-only cleaning products. These products are not for sale to the general public, but instead to professional users who want an “industrial strength” product at rock-bottom prices. By packing institutional products in extra-large containers and offering special discounts for bulk purchases, a cleaning product manufacturer can build brand loyalty and still offer attractive pricing through economies of scale. Incentive programs make sense, even is the prosaic world of cleaning products.