Since Swipely’s launch less than six months ago, we’ve worked hard to create a service that provides real value while staying true to our mission of adding value to every swipe. So what have we learned?
Reviewing isn’t enough. Sharing with friends is fun, but most people don’t write reviews.
People like saving money. Customers asked us repeatedly to help them save money on everyday purchases, something missing from early versions of Swipely.
Local commerce dwarfs online shopping. We love to shop online, but 97 percent of US retail spending happens offline. Customers told us local info is more valuable than what’s on iTunes or Amazon.
Today, saving money is painful. It’s hard to print coupons, remember loyalty cards, wait for a one-day event and launch a phone application every time you walk into a restaurant. You shouldn’t have to do unnatural things to get more out of shopping.
Now, we are thrilled to announce some really exciting changes to Swipely.
Today we are excited to launch the new Swipely in our first market (and our back yard): Rhode Island. And we expect to roll out in other cities shortly. The new Swipely lets you save money and see what’s happening at the places you shop, making it easier than ever for you to:
Save money and earn rewards. Just swipe your card at participating restaurants, shops and stores to get cash back on your first purchase and earn reward points every time you go back. You won’t have to cut a coupon, buy a voucher, carry a loyalty card, or download a phone application, because credit and debit cards from over 5,000 banks already support Swipely. The savings are automatic, and you can even earn extra rewards by recommending favorite places to friends.
See what’s new where you shop. Swipely will show you a feed of local shopping news — tonight’s specials at your favorite restaurants, which band is playing at the bar across town, the new waffle maker at Williams-Sonoma and a coupon code from J Crew. Your personal shopping news feed from millions of businesses is personalized based on where you shop.
Organize your shopping history. Keep track of where you shop, how much you spend in various categories, and even see your shopping on a map. Your shopping history is private. If you want, share a review of any place with your friends (many businesses will even give you bonus reward points for sharing a review!).
We’ve started the roll out of the new Swipely by working with local businesses here in our own backyard. Nicks on Broadway, Haruki Sushi, Nikki’s Liquors, Alayne White Spa, Sneaker Junkies and Waterman Grille are just a few of 75 businesses (and growing!) in Rhode Island now using Swipely to attract new customers, reward loyalty and understand shopping trends.
While users outside of Rhode Island will still see the “old” version of Swipely for a bit longer, we’re excited to work with businesses in cities across the country in the coming months to bring Swipely savings and rewards to people across the United States, and around the world! In the meantime, here’s a sneak peek of Swipely in Providence for our faraway friends (click to see more):
Providence swipers can see the ever-growing list of participating merchants by going to Swipely.com and clicking the “Deals & Rewards” tab. Want to learn how we can help your business? Drop us a line at business@swipely.com. Want to vote for Swipely in your city? Give us a shout on Twitter at @Swipely. Happy swiping!
