The story
From a family feed business to its own pet food brand
Lobo Azul’s roots go back to 1967, when a family business in Betanzos, A Coruña, began supplying animal feed, fertiliser and cereals to the local community from a warehouse on the edge of town and a shop in the centre. In 2012, the family launched the Lobo Azul brand: super-premium, 100% natural food for dogs and cats, developed in collaboration with veterinarians and made with high-quality ingredients. Today Lobo Azul sells online to pet owners across Spain, many of whom reorder regularly for the food their animals rely on.
The challenge
Repeat purchases called for a more rewarding relationship
Lobo Azul’s business runs on recurring orders. As it grew, the team wanted a way to recognise the customers who kept coming back, thank them for their trust, and give them a clear incentive to keep reordering from Lobo Azul rather than switching elsewhere.
Many of our purchases are recurring, so we were looking for a way to thank that trust and give them an additional incentive to keep buying from us. Smile has helped us add that little extra to the relationship with our customers.
The solution
Points on purchases, discounts on future orders, and referrals
Lobo Azul launched its loyalty program with Smile in March 2024. Customers earn 1 point for every €1 they spend, and every 50 points is worth €1 off a future order, so roughly 2% of every purchase comes back to them as a reward. With a low 100-point minimum to redeem, most customers can claim their first reward within one or two orders, and they can redeem points directly at checkout.
The program offers multiple ways to earn and a range of rewards, VIP tiers that recognise the most loyal customers, and a referral program that rewards customers for recommending Lobo Azul to friends.
The program
Points, VIP and referrals
Launched March 2024.
How it works
- A clear, simple value: 1 point per €1, with 50 points worth €1 off
- First reward reachable within one or two orders
- Points redeemable directly at checkout
- VIP tiers that recognise Lobo Azul’s most loyal customers
- A referral program that rewards customers for recommending Lobo Azul
The results
What membership and reward redemption mean for repeat orders
For a business built on repeat purchases, the program is doing exactly what Lobo Azul hoped it would. Over the past year, 81% of shoppers were loyalty members, and those members spent 254% more than non-members and ordered 242% more often, averaging more than five orders a year each.
Customers who redeemed a reward spent 116% more than those who hadn’t and purchased 108% more often. Engagement stays high: in the last 30 days, customers redeemed 84% of the points they earned. For the Lobo Azul team, the value of the program extends beyond these results.
Beyond the metrics, we see that they are happy to receive a reward for continuing to trust us and for recommending us to their friends. For us, that gratitude has great value and accompanies the growth of the business.
Beyond the numbers
Another way to say thank you
For Lobo Azul, the reward is another way to thank customers who already count on them. The team continues looking for ways to improve the program.
