The Love Loft loyalty program lets consumers earn points and rewards by shopping with a branded card. Loft is promoting the mobile launch through Web and direct mail initiatives.

“Putting the client first is at the core of what we do at Loft,” said Deborah Cavanagh, senior vice president of marketing at Loft, New York.

“We recognized that our client did not always carry her physical credit card with her and wanted to create a easy, safe and secure solution where she had access 24/7, so the mobile card was the logical solution,” she said.

Mobile management
Love Loft card members can manage their account online via a desktop or mobile site.

The mobile portion of the program went live on Feb. 26 and is being promoted with a call-to-action on the back page of Loft’s spring catalog.

The call-to-action prompts users to visit http://www.loftloverewards.com to learn more.

The site being promoted for the call-to-action is not optimized for mobile devices, but a section on the bottom left-hand side of the screen encourages users to manage their account via mobile.

Consumers then set up their account to allow mobile access and can log in to the mobile site at https://mobile.comenity.net/loft to manage their account.

Via the site, consumers can make payments, view their account history and view their profile.

Information on payment deadlines and history is also available via the mobile site.

Additionally, consumers can view a virtual version of their loyalty card. Each card features an account number, which can be typed into a point-of-sale system by a Loft employee to let card members redeem their points and rewards in-store.

A user’s profile, which includes the name, address and phone number associated with an account, is also available via the mobile site.

Loft is also aiming to build its social presence via the site with buttons that link to the brand’s Facebook and Twitter accounts.

Mobile retail
This is the first mobile effort from Loft. The company does not have a mobile site or application.

Nowadays, consumers want to manage their accounts from their handsets.

At the same time, retailers increasingly are using mobile to link into loyalty programs and help create stronger one-on-one relationships with consumers.

Therefore, Loft is smart to start small by focusing on its loyalty program with a mobile log-in component.

Additionally, by promoting the mobile service via its print catalog, Loft is able to acquire new sign-ups for its loyalty program, when consumers likely have their mobile devices close by.

“Our mobile card enhances the Web experience by allowing her to render her credit card account number any time in-store or while she is shopping Loft.com from home,” Ms. Cavanagh said.

Final Take
Lauren Johnson is associate reporter on Mobile Commerce Daily, New York