Visible Results' Unique Loyalty Program For Lifestyle Entertainment

    Retailer, Virgin Megastores, Continues to Help Increase Store Sales



    LOS ANGELES, Aug. 11 /EMWNews/ -- North American Virgin Megastores'

commitment to its ongoing 'Virgin Important Person' (V.I.P.) loyalty

program has contributed to industry-defying growth for the retailer in DVD,

electronics and fashion merchandise sales.



    The lifestyle entertainment retailer announced that its

Graphicard-based loyalty program -- devised and implemented by Visible

Results -- is performing above expectations as V.I.P. members continue to

spend at higher than anticipated levels. In the first half of 2008, the

Average Dollar Spend of V.I.P. members was 60% higher than non-members,

settling from 100% increase in average sales at the start the program in

October 2006.



    George Stevens, Country Manager Visible Results USA, said the

opportunity to work with a renowned brand like Virgin Megastores has

provided an exciting illustration of how a loyalty program can successfully

integrate with a retailer's whole-of-business approach to customer

engagement, and contribute to differentiating that retailer even in

challenging economic times.



    "We have enjoyed being a partner with Virgin Megastores since their

program launched in October 2006. The Virgin Megastores marketing team has

really been focused on making the in-store experience fun and relevant to

their customer base since the program went live," said Stevens. "Virgin

Megastores has shown immense loyalty to their own customers and in my

opinion that's been the key to their success, not just within their V.I.P.

program, but across their entire business."



    The financial success of the Virgin Megastores V.I.P. program is all

the more impressive against a massive 15% decline in industry sales of

traditional music formats, such as CDs and LPs in 2007 compared to 2006,

according to Nielsen SoundScan.



    As a forward-thinking retailer the Virgin Megastores implemented a

diversification strategy for its merchandise in 2002. Along with music,

DVDs and books, Virgin Megastores introduced fashion, electronics, pop

culture items, and consumer electronics.



    Explaining Virgin Megastore's resilience, Dee Mc Laughlin, VP of

Marketing for Virgin Entertainment Group, North America said the V.I.P.

program has been a very important ingredient; when combined with the

diversification strategy, the dedication of store staff and the brand's

successful partnerships with its vendors and other suppliers.



    Mc Laughlin said the real wow-factor for members are the prizes, points

and privileges. "We saw we could integrate what we were already doing, such

as live in-store events and competitions, with the Visible Results program.

The card has taken our activities to a new level -- it's not just a card,

it's an experience."



    Stevens adds, "Programs like V.I.P. allow retailers to build an

insightful database that measures the real impact of all of their marketing

activities. Leading retailers, such as Virgin Megastores, are using the

information generated by their loyalty programs to make sure the money

spent on customers is both targeted and effective. I am pleased that

Visible Results has been able to play a role in their current success and I

look forward to what lies ahead for V.I.P. members."






    VIRGIN MEGASTORES V.I.P. PROGRAM ACHIEVEMENTS

    -- Members' Average Dollar Spend (ADS) is 60% higher than non-members

    -- Virgin Megastores uplift in total store sales in 2008 is 5.55%

    -- The Virgin Megastores V.I.P. program now has 300,000 members in two

       markets: California and New York





     For More Information:

     George Stevens, Country Manager Visible Results USA

     Tel: 913 383 3400 Email: [email protected]

    ABOUT VISIBLE RESULTS



    Visible Results is a global loyalty marketing organization that

specializes in tailoring turnkey loyalty programs that help retailers find,

keep and profit from their best customers. Visible Results offers

end-to-end loyalty program applications at the point-of-sale (POS). The

flagship product is the Graphicard(TM) -- an innovative and unique platform

that integrates a re-writable, read-write 'smart' card. Visible Results has

offices located in Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, USA, and the UK. See

http://www.visibleresults.com

    About Virgin Entertainment Group



    Virgin Entertainment Group is the world's leading multi-channel

lifestyle entertainment retailer, providing customers with a range of

entertainment experiences through a family of integrated Virgin-branded

businesses. Virgin Megastores and Virgin Megastore Online at

http://www.virginmega.com are integral parts of a strategy to provide

entertainment customers with what they want, how they want it, and when

they want it.



    For more information, or to check out the location of the nearest

Virgin retail, go to http://www.virginmega.com or

http://www.virginmegamashup.com.