Customer loyalty products have increased in prominence and popularity. They are a means to attract and maintain valued customers in a very competitive retail environment while providing the retailer with valuable customer information upon which direct marketing campaigns can be devised. Loyalty programs is a very important component in interactive customer engagement, the buzz word in modern marketing.

This demand in the market has dictated the launch of Arch-Infinity as part of Arch Retail System's suite of store management solutions. It is a customer loyalty program which integrates with Arch Retail at point-of-sale and was developed in conjunction with One/One.

Arch-Infinity offers the retailer a comprehensive product which not only addresses the loyalty requirement, but also gathers personal customer information required to design targeted marketing campaigns. It provides management reports rich in product information as well as customer information related to buying patterns and behaviour.

Arch-Infinity gives customers cash back on designed campaigns and designated products. Customers prefer cash back over points earned, since the rewards in cash terms are more tangible and less confusing.

Arch-Infinity was recently launched as the loyalty solution of choice at OK Foods, the franchise division of Shoprite Checkers. It will be known as the OK Count On Loyalty card. David Geldenhuys, Marketing Executive at Arch Retail Systems, says "the product has been well accepted by the market, with strong interest from a number of other leading groups".