With over 91% of retail purchases taking place in-store and the majority of these being web-influenced, marketers need a scalable way to drive in-store sales.   We saw an opportunity to create a solution with our partners at Rakuten Marketing to utilize the affiliate channel to drive in-store sales on a pay-per-sale basis.

Why run O2O (online to offline) offers?   Double your affiliate program within the first year (yes, we’re serious).

• Expand distribution, driving incremental in-store sales
• Track the in-store impact of affiliate marketing at a transactional level
• Empower affiliates to promote in-store offers and earn commission
• Collect valuable data about the consumer journey to in-store sales 

At this year’s Rakuten DealMaker show here in New York, we announced some big news regarding this solution. More offer formats – no barcode needed!

• Mobile Coupons:  Get a % or $ off at register.
• Cash-Back Certificate:  Get a % or $ back from your favorite loyalty program. 
• Donation Certificate:  Your favorite retailer will donate a % or $ back to a leading cause. 
• Gift Card:  Use the gift card rails to incentivize a purchase. 
• Receipt Upload:  No barcode needed.  Consumer gets a rebate on a qualifying purchase by snapping a picture of the receipt.

But what if I’m a manufacturer who doesn’t own any stores?
Good news! We have a solution for you.  With our new receipt upload offering, you can track sales across any retailer who sells your products and connect to your affiliate program.

What If I’m a retailer who doesn’t want to touch anything at POS?
Receipt upload is also great for any retailer who wants an easy way to get up and running with O2O offers. 

What other benefits to I get?

• Incremental Sales: Via DMP integration, Rakuten Consumer Graph or data onboarder, identify new versus existing customers and respond accordingly.
• Mobile Optimization: Device-responsive technology optimizes to show the consumer the appropriate experience for each device.  Full support of mobile wallets.   
• Improved Tracking: Track down to the member-level to support loyalty affiliates.     
• Greater Reach & Scale: Works with your entire network starting day 1. 
• Standardized Reporting: Automated in-store reporting by affiliate – all in the Rakuten system. 
• Flexibility: Run offers down to the SKU. Process returns.

What kind of results can I get?

• Programs can exceed $1 million per month
• Revenue per store ranges $1,000 – $3,000 per month
• The average click on an affiliate link typically yields over $15 in-store sales revenue
• Assuming 5% commission, EPC = $75
• In-store program revenue will typically exceed online programs within a year  

There’s no better time than now to start testing how the affiliate channel can drive in-store sales.  If you’re in need of scalable ways to move the needle for holiday, a successful test in Q3 will put you in great shape for a Q4 rollout.