More than 40 million "paid members", in-depth analysis of Intime Department Store's membership operation system

In recent years, cultivating "paying members" has gradually become the key operation direction of offline shopping malls. How did Intime Department Store achieve more than 40 million paying members across the country? This article deeply analyzes Intime Department Store's user cultivation operation process for your reference.

In recent years, offline retail has been impacted by online e-commerce and the epidemic, and business has continued to be affected. This has also prompted shopping malls to pay more and more attention to the operation of members, and the proportion of member sales in many shopping malls has increased year by year.

However, in terms of contribution, it generally follows the 80/20 rule, that is, 20% of customers contribute 80% of sales. For example, 15% of the members of Hangzhou Tower contribute nearly 88% of the member sales.

Therefore, shopping malls such as Intime, Joy City, and Impression City have successively launched their own paid memberships in an attempt to further tap into high-value users.

Intime Department Store was the first in the industry to launch paid membership in 2017, and the number of paid members exceeded 1 million in just one year. This year, it launched a large membership system to further aggregate its capabilities in serving users.

Next, I will disassemble Intime’s membership system through Sanshou Marketing’s original five-step super user operation method, namely the five links of identification-cultivation-screening-operation-fission , and tell you which ones are worth learning from.

Image source: Fengcheng Consulting

01 Identification-channel operation analysis

The first step of the five-step super user method is user identification, which is how to identify and find your potential customers.

However, for offline-heavy industries such as shopping malls, companies are required to have the ability to build private traffic pools at low cost and reach users efficiently.

Regarding this point, Intime established a matrix with the WeChat platform as the core very early on, and has operated on different platforms such as Douyin and Weibo, which gives it a very rich user touchpoints.

The following is a breakdown of the drainage methods and main contents of each channel:

1. Official account/video account

Each Intime store has its own official account, and the promotion strategies are also different. Taking the main account "Intime Department Store" as an example, after users follow it, they will receive membership promotion information as soon as possible. There are also 3 official accounts on the video account, and the content is mainly about event introductions.

2. Mini Programs

Intime’s mini program is the function of an online mall. When you enter the homepage, you can see the touchpoints for community traffic.

Specific path: Mini Program "Intime Department Store" – Homepage – Click to join the group – Scan the QR code to join the group

3. TikTok

Intime has also established an account matrix on Douyin, with video content mainly focusing on product promotion and event introductions.

Taking the account of "Hangzhou Wulin Main Store" as an example, the account homepage sets up the traffic entrances of various offline stores, and live broadcasts are conducted every day to sell goods (live broadcasts in the mall are both realistic and immersive).

4. Xiaohongshu

Xiaohongshu is currently the hottest portal for consumer decision-making, and Intime has also established a matrix on it.

Taking "Intime Department Store", which has the most fans, as an example, the content of the notes is mainly about brand activities and product introductions. The tweets will set up lucky draws to increase the exposure of the content and attract users to make offline purchases.

5. Weibo

Similar to official accounts, each store basically has its own Weibo account. Taking "Intime Department Store" with the most fans as an example, the content mainly focuses on brand promotion and event promotion.

Through sophisticated omni-channel operations and rich touchpoint settings, Intime has quickly accumulated a large number of fans. Currently, the number of Intime Group members exceeds 40 million digital members.

Of course, the business focus of shopping malls is still offline. How to amplify the user's offline experience is the key. How does Intime do it?

02‍‍ Cultivation-User Experience Analysis

In offline consumption scenarios, what often competes is service and experience.

In order to improve their competitiveness, shopping malls are strengthening their business formats and service content in order to continuously cultivate users' consumption habits, improve user experience, and increase repeat purchases from old users.

As an old customer of Intime, I have personally experienced its considerate and warm service. So far, Intime Department Store has formed six major services including "basic service", "return and exchange", "compensation for over-price purchase", "free shipping nationwide", "heartwarming service" and "car service" .

Let’s break down in detail what rights and interests are involved.

1. Basic Services

Including telephone, activity consultation, opinion registration; broadcast missing person, lost property; wireless Internet access and other basic services.

2. Returns and Exchanges

We offer 60-day no-questions-asked return and exchange for clothing and footwear; worry-free return and exchange in different locations or stores; and door-to-door pickup for online returns and exchanges.

Most general platforms offer “7-day no-reason return and exchange”, but Intime is the first in the industry to offer “60-day no-reason return and exchange”.

Miaojie also launched a free door-to-door pickup/return and exchange service for 365 members, and handled nearly 1.7 million orders for door-to-door pickup services in 2022.

3. Buying too high to compensate

If the price of the goods in the affiliated counter is higher than the flagship store's selling price on that day, the difference can be compensated within 7 days.

You know, 365 days a year, more than 60 chain stores are located in different regions, and the marketing and market strategies vary greatly. It is not easy to achieve this.

Even e-commerce platforms with highly coordinated information currently usually only provide price guarantee services for major events and promotional activities.

4. Free shipping nationwide

You can enjoy free shipping for online and offline shopping at affiliated counters, and the goods will be shipped within 24 hours after placing the order.

5. Heartwarming service

Free refreshments, diapers and women's care packs are provided at the door; the store has free needles and thread, and emergency medicine kits; the store provides umbrellas, strollers, and wheelchairs for loan; and free gift wrapping is provided for purchases of merchandise in the store.

In 2022 alone, Intime Department Store gave away more than 3.7 million masks, 980,000 bottles of drinking water and countless snacks for free.

6. Car service

Usually shopping malls offer free parking for 2 hours or discounts, ignoring customers who do not drive. On this basis, Intime Department Store has launched special services such as "taxi hailing" and "special car pick-up" after spending a certain amount.

In 2022, more than 270,000 people visited Intime Department Store and enjoyed the private car (including valet taxi) service, which not only enhanced the shopping experience as paying members, but also promoted consumption upgrades.

In addition to the above six services, Intime also has three rights and interests systems (for 365 members) . The systematic operation covers both online and offline experiences, breaking the traditional department store service model and has now become the "signature" of Intime Department Store's digital operations.

In particular, the launch of 365 membership (paid membership) has helped Intime further screen super users. Let’s take a look at what is special about it.

03 Screening-Paid Benefits Analysis

Intime currently has more than 40 million members, but most of them are not true "super users." Super users are users who have a clear intention to continue to consume the company's products and services.

How to quickly and effectively screen out super users? "Paid membership" is the simplest and most effective way.

Intime launched the "365 Membership" in 2017, priced at 365 yuan. The slogan at that time was "One yuan a day, plus an additional 10% discount on purchases at Intime stores across the country."

The rights and interests have also undergone several changes. In addition to the regular membership rights such as compensation for price difference if the purchase is too expensive, 60-day unconditional return and exchange, and free shipping nationwide for online purchases, paying members also have 9 major rights and interests. The official estimate is that they can save 1,926 yuan in one year.

Next, let's take a closer look at the specific benefits of a membership worth 365 yuan:

1. 10% off on top of discounts: 10% off on designated brands, and 2% off on some categories such as gold and jewellery.

2. Monthly benefits: You can enjoy exclusive monthly benefits.

3. 50% off laundry: Enjoy 50% off at designated laundry service centers.

4. 50% off car wash: Enjoy 50% off at designated car wash service centers.

5. 10% off parking: Parking at designated stores is subject to a 10% discount.

6. Small Treasury: 10% of the amount saved will be converted into small gold coins, which can be exchanged for red envelope coupons. 1 small gold coin can be exchanged for 1 yuan.

7. Monthly subsidy: privileges to purchase selected products.

8. Points can be used as cashback: Points are earned from consumption (different proportions apply to different categories) and can be used as cashback for shopping.

9. Membership rental: You can enjoy the rental services in the store (such as power banks, baby strollers, umbrellas, etc.).

It is worth mentioning that among shopping malls that offer paid memberships, single-store issuance is the mainstream, while Intime’s memberships are issued by the group in a unified manner, covering basically all stores across the country.

This year, Intime upgraded its membership system to cover its three major business segments: shopping malls, high-end hotels, and office buildings, opening up more consumption scenarios and further enhancing users' consumption experience.

04 Operation-Activation Gameplay Analysis

The establishment of a super user system is a systematic project. From the overall perspective of an enterprise cultivating super users, daily operations are also essential to keep users active at all times.

Intime’s operations in three aspects are worth referring to.

1. APP promotion gameplay

In the Miaojie app, there are four common ways to promote activity on the homepage, mainly through some small benefits to extend the time users spend in the app. The following are introduced respectively:

(1) Sign-in: You can sign in every day to receive red envelopes, 1 yuan per day, and a maximum of 7 red envelopes can be stacked, which can be used for offline consumption.

(2) Planting flowers: The gameplay is similar to the tree planting game. The "points" obtained in the end can be used to redeem coupons for product categories.

(3) Coupon Collection: A collection place for coupon collection of various brands of products for the convenience of users to browse.

(4) Lucky draw: You can get lucky coins by signing in, browsing, and spending, which can be used to draw physical prizes.

2. Daily community operations

As the most commonly used channel to reach users on a daily basis, Intime is also actively operating private domain communities, not only through WeChat groups, but also through Alipay communities.

For example, the Alipay community has currently accumulated 200,000 community users, and most of them are settled in the users' local Yintai groups.

Similar to the WeChat community operation, they also carry out daily community maintenance activities in the Alipay community, such as good morning and night, life and health tips, welfare lottery activities, product recommendations, offline marketing activities previews and the combination of pop-up stores, etc.

In addition, when Intime and some brands jointly launch some flash events, the event will provide exclusive benefits, but you need to go to the store and join the corresponding local group to receive them, which strengthens the linkage between online and offline.

3. 1212INTIME365 Member

December 12th of every year is Yintai's 365 Member Day. The gold coins in the member's small treasury can be exchanged for red envelopes with no threshold on Double 12, and can be spent directly as money. They can also be exchanged for beauty and clothing coupons, beauty salon experience, brand coupons, food, drink and entertainment gift packages and other benefits.

The featured events each year will be slightly different. For example, starting from December 1 this year, members can participate in the "Gold Bean Grabbing Event" every day, grabbing 0.5g of small golden beans for 12.12 yuan.

The overall gameplay is similar to Double 11, concentrating many promotional methods and welfare gameplay during this period, and also encouraging ordinary members to join paid members and enjoy multiple benefits.

05 Fission-Fission gameplay analysis

In any industry, fission is the lowest cost and most effective way to acquire customers. Most fission activities have low thresholds and attract users to participate through benefits.

Based on its huge private domain traffic, Intime will use some simple fission gameplay to achieve the effect of attracting new customers and repeat purchases. Take the common group buying and distribution as an example:

1. Group buying activities

There is a special group buying area on the homepage of the mini program. By inviting users to participate in group buying and obtain the right to purchase at a low price, it not only brings in new users, but also enables new orders, repeat purchases and N purchases.

At the same time, Intime’s welfare officers will also promote group buying activities in WeChat Moments, communities and other scenarios to further enhance exposure.

2. Distribution fission

In the "Miaojie" app, you can share product distribution functions, share product links/posters with friends, and get rewards when your friends place orders to purchase, which greatly stimulates users' spontaneous dissemination.

Final Thoughts

We have now entered the "stock era". Whether it is the offline supermarket industry like Intime or other industries, they are trying their best to retain users and screen super users. This has become the foundation for the future survival of enterprises.

The evolutionary path of enterprise users/Image source: Yan Tao

According to data from Nielsen, a world-renowned company, super users have 5-10 times the spending power of ordinary users. Every 1% increase in their spending power leads to a 10-15% increase in new customers and a 20%-25% sales growth, which shows the enormous value of super users.

Even the smallest companies have their own super users, and we need to learn to identify and select them. In today's fiercely competitive world, it is better to cultivate users and achieve more long-term and stable growth instead of blindly rolling inward.

Author: Yan Tao WeChat public account: Yan Tao Sanshou