Employee Discounts can be defined as retailers & brands offering eligible individuals of discrete employee populations their products and services at a discount not available to the general public. Employee shoppers are extremely valuable as they represent a highly desirable consumer group for many brands and retailers. Accordingly, they are willing to trade a lower profit margin on a transaction in exchange for incremental sales and, when possible, a new customer's (employee shoppers) email address and contact information which they can market against.
Employee discount programs (Corporate Shopping Company is a leading provider) provide retailers a new and important distribution channel that brings new users into their franchise and delivers incremental sales and brand loyalty. Through Employee Discount Programs retailers and service providers gain access to a large, important and captive target audience of employee shoppers at major US corporations.
And, via a private and controlled shopping environment (Corporate Shopping Company operates a private password protected program), retailers can offer special discounts and promotions that will not disrupt normal retail marketing strategies or be viewed by the general public.
Employee Discount programs are a quintessential win, win proposition. Retailers gain access to a large, captive and desirable consumer group and employees gain access to a pricing structure not otherwise not available to them.
Employee Discount programs are impactful and cherished employee benefits. Employee Discount programs offer a cost-free and voluntary employee benefit and perk that helps employees with their work life balance. Human Resource personnel can offer access to an employee discount program as an incremental employee benefit that creates goodwill, builds morale and helps with employee retention.
HR departments can market employee discounts directly to their employees as a benefit from HR as a "thank you" for their service and a great corporate perk.
The advantage of Employee Discounts to employees is that they deliver meaningful discounts at many of their favorite retailers in a range of lifestyle categories. For example:
Cell Phone Employee Discounts: Verizon Wireless Employee Discounts, AT&T Employee Discounts and Sprint Employee Discounts are perhaps to most conspicuous offerings in the marketplace. Typically these providers sign contracts with companies and employees must verify their employment through a company code and email address to benefit. Further, all run season promotions with special offers on certain devices and activation plans.
Consumer Electronics Employee Discounts: Apple EPP, Dell EPP Hewlett Packard EPP and Microsoft Home Use Program offer special employee discounts. However, given the short margins in consumer electronics, often times these represent modest savings over retail pricing. Conversely, the Microsoft Home Use Program features Microsoft Office for $9.95 to employees of partner companies. Eligible employees must verify with their work email and program code.
Apparel and Wear to Work Employee Discounts: Brooks Brothers Corporate Membership (or Brooks Brothers Card) is a popular offer that allows employees to enroll for a free Brooks Brothers Corporate Membership Card that delivers 15% OFF all full-priced merchandise both online and in-store and at Brooks Brothers Factory Outlets. And, they host a bi-annual 30% OFF day of shopping exclusively for Brooks Brothers Card holders. Lands' End is another popular offer. While the company doesn't offer a day to day savings program they do have frequent promotions that often give employees 25% or 30% OFF savings on full-priced merchandise. Similarly, J.Crew does not offer a day to day discount but they have frequent promotions that provide for significant savings. Ralph Lauren's most popular offer is their 25% OFF Pink Pony Sale and the Extra 40% OFF Sale items employee promotion.
Shoes Employee Discounts: Shoes.com is offers regular employee discount opportunities. Generally they feature a 15% OFF day to day discount and regularly supplement that with 20% OFF time sensitive employee offers and also 25% OFF Sale merchandise codes. Shoebuy.com is a strong presence with a regular 10% OFF employee discount and also regular promotions with deeper employee offers.
Flowers & Gifts Employee Discounts: 1800Flowers.com, ProFlowers.com and FTD.com are other popular offers providing 15% OFF everyday purchases. And, 1800Flowers and ProFlowers usually extend a deeper 20% OFF discount during key gift giving periods like Mothers Day, Valentines Day and Christmas.
Travel Employee Discounts: Orbitz.com, Hotels.com, Travelocity.com Priceline.com and Expedia.com offer employee discounts on hotels and travel packages. Offers vary by provider but usually there are offers for 5-10% Off hotels and up to $100 off vacation packages. Orbitz.com offers a 15% Off Hotels employee discount several times a year. Hotels.com offers 10% OFF Hotels on a regular basis.
Home Mortgages Employee Discounts: Citbank offers a special employee mortgage program with multiple benefits that usually offers savings on closing costs. And, there most popular offer is a waived lender fees promotion with typical employee savings of between $750-$1500. And, there is a special offer from Creditreport.com to get a free credit score which can be a useful tool before applying for a mortgage.
Restaurants Employee Discounts: Perhaps the most popular employee discount is Restaurant.com. On a daily basis, Restaurant.com offers employees $25 Giftcards for $10 - this is their regular offer. They offer frequent employee discount offers and usually for 2-3 days per month offer $25 Restaurant.com giftcards for $4.
Department Stores & Mass Merchants Employee Discounts: Costco offers special Membership Activation Cards which provide employees with $50 in coupons and free gifts. Macys doesn't offer a regular employee discount, but they have frequent promotions offering employees 15-20% Off. Their best offer is their bi-annual 25% OFF Friends & Family Sale. Target.com employee discount offer is $7 Off purchases of $70 or more. Kohls.com offers employees 15% with regularity and often ups to a 20% OFF employee discount once a month.
Health & Beauty Employee Discounts: The Sephora Friends & Family Sale is the most popular employee discount in the Health & Beauty category. The offer varies each year, but it is typically 20% OFF retail. Lancome offers a bi-annual Friends & Family event for employees with 20% Off Savings. Kiehls.com offers a 20% Off employee discount bi-annually and they sometimes offer a $25 Off $75 employee offer in December. Philosophy.com employee discounts are usually 15% OFF purchases and they have regular promotions that the offer 25% OFF or sometimes 30% OFF for employee shoppers.
Cyber Monday: The single best online shopping day of the year is Cyber Monday. In almost all circumstances, retailers offer Cyber Monday employee discounts which are the richest offers of the year. A few previous Cyber Monday employee offers include: Tory Burch 30% OFF, Eddie Bauer 40% OFF, Ann Taylor & Loft 50% OFF, The Body Shop 40% Off, Puma 40% Off and many more.
Home & Lifestyle Employee Discounts: eHarmony 20% Off employee discount is a popular offer with single employees. Homedepot.com offers time sensitive offers that are usually $5 off $50 or $10 off $100 for employee shoppers. TicketsNow.com offers an employee discount of 10% Off purchases of $200 or more. During the holidays shopping season, Shutterfly.com and TinyPrints.com offer incredible discount on holiday cards typically 20% Off to as much as 40% Off.