With over 300 houseplants in his own studio, Chai Saechao decided it was time to open the doors to Plant Therapy to share his passion for plants with the community. Based in San Francisco, California, Saechao launched his plant retail shop in 2018 in a 250-square-foot space in the city’s Tenderloin neighborhood. He envisioned himself tending to plants, talking to customers, and running a one-man-show.
“The rest is history,” he said.
Today, Plant Therapy offers hundreds of types of plants and serves customers both in-store and online with Square. It has moved to a larger location, hired more employees, and, most importantly, grown its customer base.
The objective: Driving repeat sales and customer loyalty
Saechao knew from his previous career experience that a rewards program would be key to driving repeat sales and higher spend among his customer base.
“The customer is how I prioritize my business,” said Saechao. “Plants are always secondary.”
Getting repeat visits was the goal. Saechao wanted to incentivize customers to buy houseplants not just for themselves, but for their friends, offices, and any space that could use a little plant therapy.
The challenge: Finding an efficient rewards system that wouldn’t hinder staff or customers
Plant Therapy is especially busy on weekends, so Saechao needed a seamless rewards experience that was easy for staff to use and wouldn’t hold up the line for customers. As an on-the-go business owner, he wanted a solution that was simple to set up and didn’t require too much time to manage.
When it came to functionality, Saechao looked for a loyalty program that would integrate with his other tools, offer customized rewards tiers, and allow for simple reward redemption.
The solution: Square Loyalty
Saechao adopted Square Loyalty to offer rewards and grow his business at the same time. Customers only need to enter their phone number to sign up, which helps keep the line moving on busy days. And with easy-to-understand reporting, Saechao knows his loyalty program is bringing customers back more often and driving higher spend.
I set up my loyalty program from my Square Dashboard and it was pretty simple. As a business owner, I don’t want to have to think about anything else. The loyalty program runs on its own. ”
Chai Saechao → owner, Plant Therapy
As for his initial goals, Square Loyalty has helped Saechao create a fully integrated rewards program that influences the spending habits of his loyal customers and helps his shop stand out from competitors.
Creating an integrated rewards program
Since he already used Square Point of Sale, it was easy to set up a custom loyalty program from Square Dashboard. Loyalty members earn one point for every dollar spent and can save up their points to earn different rewards. Customers can redeem 50 points for a free bag of house-made soil, 100 points for a 10%-off coupon, or 200 points for a 20%-off coupon.
Increasing sign-ups and repeat visits
To encourage customers to enroll, Saechao posted a sign on his counter with all the details of his loyalty program. He trained staff to ask customers whether they’d like to sign up at checkout with just their phone number. Saechao uses Square Marketing to promote his loyalty program by sending emails to members about exclusive promotions just for them.
A lot of customers who are part of the loyalty program are telling their friends about us and making sure their friends sign up. Our loyalty program is how we stand out from other plant stores. ”
Chai Saechao → owner, Plant Therapy
The results: Reaping the rewards of a successful loyalty program
With over 8,000 customers enrolled today, Plant Therapy’s loyalty program has proven that what’s good for customers is just as good for business. In 2022 alone, the average spend per transaction for loyalty members was more than double that of non-loyalty members.
Saechao has also noticed that customers who redeemed free soil as a reward have become repeat buyers of the product. Now, loyalty members bring in friends and family to join in on the rewards, resulting in higher foot traffic and even more sales annually.
“The reports tell you the spend of loyalty customers versus non-loyalty customers,” Saechao said. “When I look at those side by side, it motivates me even more. Seeing the numbers is how I know for sure it’s working.”
