# Experiential Rewards Programs Holt Renfrew Icon Privileges Earns Experiences Rather Than Points By Laura McQuarrie | Published 2015-08-04 | Business Source: Trend Hunter, https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/rewards-program References: [marketingmag](http://www.marketingmag.ca/consumer/holt-renfrews-rich-rewards-for-loyal-customers-153316?rss=yes) & [holtrenfrew](http://www.holtrenfrew.com/en/holt/twocolumn/footer/holt-icon/welcome?promo_id=en|holt-icon|welcome) There are many rewards programs built around encouraging people to accumulate points with purchases that can only be put towards more physical items, but not [Holt Renfrew's](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/exclusive-popup-event) Icon Privileges. For many luxury brands, it's more important to keep the biggest spending customers loyal by giving them [exclusive retail experiences](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/gifting-suite) rather than pushing product. The same thinking is applied to the retailer's Icon Privileges program, which rewards shopperss with a Select or Front Row Status membership based on how much they spend. Rather than converting a shopper's loyalty to points, this system rewards customers with cocktail parties, lunches with designers, as well as exclusive in-store services and products. The SVP of marketing and customer experience at Holt Renfrew Alison Simpson sums it up best by saying: "Experience is ultimately everything to us, so it’s not about racking up points." ## Trend Insights (Trend Hunter) - Score: 4.5/10 - Popularity: 56% | Activity: 72% | Freshness: 8% - Audience gender: 50% men, 50% women - Primary generations: Millennial, Gen X - Top markets: North America ## Categories [Trend Hunter](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends) > [Business](https://www.trendhunter.com/business) > [Retail](https://www.trendhunter.com/retail) ## Key Themes ### Why This Trend Is Growing - **Experiential Rewards Programs:** Disruptive innovation opportunity: Develop a rewards program that focuses on providing unique experiences and exclusive services instead of accumulating points for physical items. - **Exclusive Retail Experiences:** Disruptive innovation opportunity: Create a loyalty program that offers customers access to exclusive events, designer interactions, and personalized in-store experiences. - **Shifting Loyalty Paradigm:** Disruptive innovation opportunity: Challenge the traditional loyalty model by prioritizing experience over the accumulation of points, providing a new approach to customer loyalty. ### Industries Being Reshaped - **Luxury Retail:** Disruptive innovation opportunity: Integrate experiential rewards programs into luxury retail to enhance customer loyalty and provide unique experiences for high-spending customers. - **Customer Loyalty Programs:** Disruptive innovation opportunity: Transform traditional customer loyalty programs by shifting the focus towards rewarding customers with exclusive retail experiences rather than physical items. - **Marketing and Customer Experience:** Disruptive innovation opportunity: Redefine the concept of customer experience by adopting a strategy that prioritizes experiential rewards over points-based loyalty programs. ## Related on Trend Hunter - [Allen Key-Inspired Rewards Programs](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/ikea-family-loyalty-program.md) - [Progressive Loyalty Reward Programs](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/rbc-expands-avion-rewards.md) - [Opulent Traveler Rewards](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/bank-of-america-1.md) - [Emotionally-Resonating Gambling Experiences](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/mgm-emotional-loyalty.md) - [Audio Brand Rewards Programs](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/skullcandy-soundlab.md) - [Men-Focused Loyalty Initiatives](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/members-only-rewards.md) - [Web3-Driven Loyalty Programs](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/hugo-boss-1.md) - [Loyalty-Based Rewards Programs](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/nescafe-dolce-gusto.md) - [All-in-One Loyalty Programs](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/avion-rewards.md)