Banana Republic gets it.

I went to Banana Republic today with my $15 gift card (a birthday present I received in the mail), and a 15% off card also received in the mail. I had shopped online to view their products from the comfort of my home before my visit, too.

After paying for $92 worth of their products purchased for approximately $70, I received a survey form on my receipt. If I fill out the survey online within the next five days (already done), I get 10% off my next purchase. Plus, I finally got enough "points" on my Banana Republic card to get a $10 off gift card in the mail.

So while Banana Republic has certainly "got" me, what else have the got? They've got the concept of syncronized communications down pat, and are using it to give their customers what they like.

What do customers like? Customers like:

• Getting mail, especially not junk mail. Moreso on their birthday.
  
• Shopping. Duh, if they didn't like shopping, they wouldn't be customers.
  
• Seeing the same products in the store that they saw online.
  
• Getting rewarded for being a good customer.

N.B. - I had to use the two card separately on two different transactions, i.e. they couldn't be stacked. Not a big deal though.