3 reasons why the North Face’s loyalty program has 20 million fans

If there’s one thing that’s clear from The North Face’s loyalty program, XPLR Pass, it’s that they understand outdoorsy people – down to a tee. 

On the surface, members earn points for money off. But become a member, and you’ll uncover its experiential perks. 

In exchange for a customer’s loyalty, they offer perks customers can’t get anywhere else. Think: returning jackets after wearing them outdoors; points for getting into nature, and face-to-face calls with your explorer heroes. 

It’s no wonder 20 million people are members!

Here are 3 reasons it’s such a successful example of a loyalty program: 

1. Unique rewards only The North Face loyalty program could offer

Want to be seen as the foremost authority on the outdoors? Prove it with your rewards – like the XPLR Pass program does:

• Experiences with North Face athletes: Join exclusive live chats with your favorite mountaineers, sports stars, and experts – an exclusive not available anywhere else.
• Access to events: Members get closer to the brand. Privileged entry to their Basecamp events in Chamonix, Cortina, and Garmisch help members build a desirable community of likeminded adventurers.
• Points for visiting National Parks or Monuments: Whether it incentivizes a spontaneous trip, or is a happy byproduct of getting outdoors, receiving points for these visits rewards customers for what they enjoy – and encourages repeat purchases.

Spotlight on: Members-only field testing perk

This is REALLY smart. The North Face recognizes an industry truth: that truly test-driving outdoor clothing can only happen… outdoors! 

Members get a unique extended returns package – twice a year, items can be returned within 30 days of purchase AND with reasonable wear from limited use. 

What we can learn from this:

Loyalty programs shouldn’t all look the same. But the way that differentiation works best is when you can prove you really know want your customers want!

The North Face loyalty program helps them give this perfect value exchange: more trust, in exchange for more loyalty. A *chef’s kiss!* benefit that truly differentiates The North Face from other fashion loyalty programs.

2. A multichannel loyalty program that builds habits

Fast-growing brands may be stretching their tendrils across DTC, retailers, their app, and their stores – but their loyalty programs should be consistent wherever customers shop.

The North Face’s XPLR Pass has strong multichannel experiences, in addition to its website:

• In-app loyalty experience: Shopping on the app is highly incentivized by the XPLR Pass program: members receive points for downloading the app, and points for using it to check-in at North Face stores. Earning points and redeeming awards is as simple in the app as it is online or in-store.
• Events: Customers can enrol in the program at some events too!

Spotlight on: Top-of-the-class in-store experiences

In-store experiences are elevated by having an XPLR Pass. Customers can enrol in the program in-store, and start earning straight away.

It’s not just purchases that earn you points in-store: checking into a store on your North Face app earns 5 points, and bringing a re-usable bag gets you 10 points. 

Redeeming rewards is also simple. Simply scan your XLPR Pass QR code at checkout.

What we can learn from this: 

The North Face are delivering the joined-up approach that customers expect from fast-growth brands today. 

Good news. Brands on Shopify can achieve exactly this, plus get push notifications sent to customers who are near stores, all by using LoyaltyLion’s integration with Novel pass. 

3. Moments that regularly delight customers

Surprise and delight is central to retention, and the North Face loyalty program does this well. They’re in regular communication via email and SMS, reminding customers of their exclusive perks, and prompting them back to the site more quickly.

• Early access to sales, and exclusive products: Two thirds of consumers consider early access an important loyalty program benefit, according to our research. Exclusive launches are the perfect moment to boost your email open rates.

• Birthday gifts: Birthdays are when customers often feel like buying themselves a gift – so the program’s money-off birthday reward offers real value at the best moment. 

Spotlight on: Free standard delivery on all orders: 

Our research shows that 85% of consumers consider free delivery an important loyalty program benefit, so its inclusion for members in the XPLR Pass program is smart.

It makes a repeat purchase easier to justify – plus it means members can easily go back to the site for things they forgot in their previous purchases.

What we can learn from this:

Free shipping breaks down barriers to purchase – but not all brands should jump straight to giving it to all members. It’s a huge cost for the brand, so it must be earned by loyalty.

Why not make it a benefit for those in the higher tiers? Priority delivery could even become a top-tier benefit, nudging members to spend even more.

Would our loyalty experts recommend any changes?

While the perks of this program are fantastic, and earning points is simple, the rewards are where this program becomes complex.

The North Face’s rewards are issued in the form of discounts, at three specific times per year. This isn’t the standard for loyalty programs – and while it’s likely strategic for The North Face, other brands should think twice before replicating it:

Offer standout birthday rewards statistically most likely to secure a repeat purchase

The birthday reward in the North Face loyalty program is another discount voucher – but with inboxes stuffed on customers’ birthdays, brands can be more creative to stand out, without damaging their margins.

How about the bundle of birthday rewards proven most likely to drive a repeat purchase?

Brands are using AI-powered loyalty program software to define the exact birthday rewards that are statistically more likely to drive repeat purchases? This way, they can trust that a standout offer will turn heads, and turn into standout results.

LoyaltyLion AI determines just that, based on its analysis of millions of loyalty activities. Why not hit go on your first campaign today?

Increase the variety of reward types

Discounts are the only reward available in this program – but for more margin-conscious brands, there are alternative ways to offer value for points, without using discounts.

The North Face could shift some of the perks (free shipping, extended returns) to be redeemable for points, to balance that value exchange whilst giving customers what they want. Even access to exclusive calls could be redeemable, rather than a free perk – LoyaltyLion customer Metaflow offers online health consultations in exchange for points.

Allow customers to redeem rewards anytime

Issuing rewards for all members three times a year is one way of driving social buzz, but it also creates peak periods when customers will be coming to store or shopping online. While loyalty programs should seamlessly scale, supply chains can’t always accommodate that.

Many brands encourage customers to redeem rewards whenever they have enough points, helping to manage stock better. Email flows personalized with loyalty data make anytime redemption clear and easy for customers.

Add VIP tiers 

If the North Face wanted to incentivize even more repeat purchases, they’d be wise to bring VIP tiering into their loyalty program. 

By making the most valuable, most experiential rewards accessible only to those spending the most per year, the brand would encourage loyal fans to return for a repeat purchase more regularly. 

Sharing personalized comms to tell customers when they’re close to the next tier can also prompt an urgent repeat purchase.

International accessibility

The North Face loyalty program is only available to those in the US and Canada. 

Extending it to those in other regions could increase the program’s contribution to the brand’s total revenue – and with loyalty platforms like LoyaltyLion offering seamless expansion, translation, and currency conversion today, it couldn’t be simpler to drive even more growth through a loyalty program.