Avant Garde
Explore how Avant Garde, a Leicester-based UK beauty salon, boosted customer retention using the Stamp Me digital loyalty card program with birthday rewards, double stamp days, and smart promotional tools.
Background
Avant Garde is a vibrant, client-focused beauty salon based in Leicester, United Kingdom. With a strong emphasis on personalised care and high-quality service, Avant Garde offers a wide range of treatments including nails, beauty services, sunbeds, and vibration plates. The salon has built a loyal local following by combining expert treatments with a welcoming atmosphere, creating a go-to destination for beauty and wellness in the Leicester area.
With a busy schedule and a diverse client base, the team needed a simple yet effective way to reward repeat visits and maintain engagement outside of appointments.
The Brief
In late 2024, Avant Garde wanted a modern, UK-based beauty salon loyalty program that could help turn occasional visits into lasting client relationships.
They partnered with Stamp Me to launch a tailored digital loyalty program that would simplify reward tracking, strengthen customer relationships, and create fun, engaging incentives for repeat visits, all while aligning with the modern, client-first vibe of their salon.
Key Objectives
Together with Stamp Me, Avant Garde aimed to:
- Strengthen customer loyalty by rewarding repeat visits across their range of beauty and wellness services.
- Offer a seamless, digital alternative to traditional paper stamp cards that aligned with their modern, client-centric brand.
- Encourage client engagement through personalised rewards, birthday perks, and limited-time offers.
- Drive more consistent bookings and visits by creating incentives that make each appointment more rewarding.
How the
Avant Garde
Loyalty Program Works
Avant Garde’s structure is built around rewarding clients for their continued visits with a mix of exclusive offers and free treatments. Clients collect digital stamps each time they visit or make a qualifying purchase, unlocking rewards as they go.
The program features four custom offers designed to appeal to both new and returning clients:
- Save £5 on a 150-Minute Course – A popular incentive that rewards clients with money off longer treatments once they reach their stamp milestone.
- 10% or 20% Off Tanning Retail – Clients receive a discount on tanning products, with a smaller interim reward at 10 stamps and a larger reward at 25.
- Free Leg Tanner Minutes – Encourages engagement with specific salon services, rewarding customers with free usage at stamp 10 and again at stamp 20.
- Up to 12 Free Tanning Minutes – A high-value reward, offered incrementally at stamp 10 and then more generously at stamp 25, helping to drive long-term loyalty.
By offering a mix of discounts and value-added services, Avant Garde ensures clients stay motivated to return and keep collecting stamps.
To drive awareness and encourage sign-ups, Avant Garde displays visually striking promotional posters throughout their salon. These materials highlight the benefits of the loyalty program and guide clients on how to join.
With Stamp Me, the team had access to a variety of ready-made marketing assets, including posters and social media tiles, while also having the flexibility to design custom materials that matched their brand.
Promotion
To make the loyalty experience as seamless as possible, Avant Garde uses two convenient stamp collection methods: the StampPod™ and the StampTag.
The StampPod™:
The StampPod™ is a compact, tap-and-go device placed at the salon’s point of sale. After a qualifying purchase, clients simply tap their smartphone (with NFC enabled) on the device to instantly receive their digital stamp. A vibration and ping confirm success, making the process smooth and satisfying.
This method is perfect for clients who check out at the counter and want a quick, self-service stamp collection experience.
The StampTag:
For even more flexibility, Avant Garde also equips staff with the StampTag — a portable, lanyard-attached card using the same NFC tap-and-go technology. After a service or purchase, team members can present the StampTag directly to clients for an easy tap and stamp.
This approach ensures staff can issue stamps from anywhere in the salon, making it ideal for busy beauty stations.
Birthday Club
Avant Garde uses Stamp Me’s Birthday Club feature to celebrate their clients and build stronger emotional connections. When a customer joins the loyalty program and collects their first stamp, they’re invited to opt into the Birthday Club. Those who join receive a personalised greeting and a special reward automatically sent via a push notification.
On their special day, members are surprised with a cheerful message from Avant Garde:
“Happy Birthday from Avant Garde — enjoy 9 free minutes from us!”
This thoughtful gesture not only makes clients feel valued but also encourages them to return to the salon and redeem their gift, strengthening brand loyalty in a personal, meaningful way.
Double Stamping Days
Avant Garde strategically uses a weekly Double Stamp Day to boost engagement during slower periods and encourage client visits. This feature helps customers get one step closer to their next reward even faster. It’s a simple but powerful way to create excitement and drive foot traffic when it's needed most.
As Caroline, Manager at Avant Garde, shares:
“The platform’s flexibility, especially features like Double Stamp Day, has allowed us to get creative and keep our community engaged.”
This incentive has become a key part of the salon’s loyalty strategy, motivating clients to book at specific times and stay connected with the brand.
Push Notifications
Avant Garde uses Stamp Me’s Push Notifications feature to stay instantly connected with their loyalty members and keep them informed between visits. These branded messages pop up directly on a client’s phone (even if the Stamp Me app isn’t open) allowing the salon to share updates, promote special offers, or simply stay top of mind.
Whether it's announcing Double Stamp Days, giving updates on operational hours, or promoting limited-time tanning deals, push notifications give Avant Garde a fast and effective way to boost engagement with zero added cost.
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How Rewards are Redeemed
Results
Since launching their loyalty program with Stamp Me, Avant Garde has:
- Issued over 1,400 stamps, reflecting strong client engagement and repeat visits
- Built an ever-growing base of active loyalty members, showcasing a strong need for a beauty salon digital loyalty program
- Created a robust, multi-offer loyalty program designed to appeal to different client preferences, including sunbeds, tanning retail, beauty services, and longer treatment packages
- Successfully used features like the Birthday Club and Double Stamp Days to drive engagement and keep clients excited about returning
“Stamp Me has been a game-changer for our customer loyalty program. It's incredibly easy to use—for both our team and our customers—and it’s helped us build stronger relationships with our regulars. We love how Stamp Me makes rewarding loyalty feel effortless and fun!”
— Caroline, Manager at Avant Garde
