Marka, the first public stock retail operator in the UAE, has announced its partnership with the loyalty programme Air Miles Middle East, in a move which seeks to reward its frequent customers.

Customers will be able to collect up to two Air Miles for every dirham spent in the UAE and Qatar across all Marka Group’s brands including Reem Al Bawadi, Modell’s, Cheeky Monkey and Taste of Italy. Air Miles members will also be able to redeem their Air Miles for e-vouchers to use across all Marka Group stores.

This new partnership is the latest exciting development for the Air Miles programme which has seen the brand undergo a digital transformation this year, including the introduction of a sophisticated, user-friendly app and website to make Air Miles more convenient and valuable to customers and businesses.

Marka is boosting its already strong regional market leadership through the launch of this extensive loyalty programme, which will extend to all Marka brands across all categories within its divisions including sports, fashion & beauty and hospitality. The aim is to reward existing customers, and to build an even greater base as the loyalty programme attracts new clientele. Marka also seeks to diversify its customer reward schemes to ensure it remains competitive.

Marka CEO Nick Peel said: “This new partnership represents the realisation of the broadening of Marka’s rewards strategy, and we are delighted to partner with Air Miles Middle East as it expands into the digital realm following a digital transformation. We value our customers and constantly strive to provide them with the best and most valuable shopping experiences.”

The 2015 Aimia Loyalty Lens finds that customers living in the UAE are open to building stronger, loyalty-based relationships with companies.

According to the report, 84 per cent of UAE customers are members of at least one loyalty programme, a 5 per cent year-on-year increase. The report also finds that customers in the UAE are happy to share their personal details, with companies now provided a golden opportunity to build long term relationships with these customers, by considering how they can personalise communications, experiences and offers.

As the latest partner to join the programme, Marka joins an extensive list of partners including Reem Al Bawadi, Modell’s, Cheeky Monkeys and many more brands across the hospitality, fashion and sports verticals. – TradeArabia News Service