Loyalty360 Reads: April 1 | Western Union Pilots a New Digital Service, Popeyes Engages with Custome

Western Union is Piloting a New Digital Service Amid the Coronavirus Pandemic

Western Union has launched a new digital platform, called Digital Location, allowing consumers to speak with money transfer agents while the company closes offices due to the virus. The platform allows the consumer to hold a voice or video call with an employee to help them make an electronic transaction. It is currently being piloted in Austria, Belgium, Italy, Portugal and Oman. The new digital platform may also help Western Union in the long run, as it could bring consumers to stay online with their business, as “The bulk of Western Union's consumer-to-consumer (C2C) revenue still occurs offline, and Digital Location could appeal to consumers who want to work with an agent during the pandemic. A whopping 85% of Western Union's C2C revenue came from sources other than Westernunion.com in Q4 2019.”

Corporate Social Responsibility

T-Mobile Debuts $15 Plan as Carriers Offer Covid-19 Relief

As relief from COVID-19, T-Mobile has released the price cut of its lowest-cost service earlier than anticipated. The offer, a pay-as-you-go plan with 2 gigabytes of data, is $15 a month, which is half the price of the previous plan. The plan was set to launch when the takeover of Sprint Corp. was completed next month. “Right now, having a reliable, low-cost connection is absolutely crucial for Americans, and with many facing financial strain, time is of the essence,” said John Legere, T-Mobile’s chief executive officer.

Dollar General Offers Discounts to Medical, First Responders, National Guard Communities

Starting Monday, March 30, Dollar General is offering a 10% discount to medical personnel, first responders and currently active National Guardsmen. To get this discount, the person must show their employee badge or ID to receive the discount, which runs through April 30. The store is also investing $35 million in employee bonuses for those who work during a six-week period starting in mid-March. Dollar General employees will also be provided with a 30% off digital coupon through May 4. “At Dollar General, we are deeply appreciative for the ongoing and brave work that our medical professionals, first responder communities and National Guard activated continue to perform during these unprecedented times,” said Todd Vasos, Dollar General’s CEO. “To demonstrate our heartfelt gratitude for these individuals’ tireless service to their communities, we are proud to help support them with this discount. On behalf of the entire Dollar General family, we would like to thank all of the physicians, nurses, pharmacists, paramedics, police officers, fire fighters, Guardsmen and other health care and front-line professionals working to support and care for our neighbors and communities.”

H&M donates Protective Equipment to COVID-19 Fund

The clothes retailer H&M is donating $500,000 to the COVID-19 Solidarity Response Fund, which launched in early March by the UN Foundation, Swiss Philanthropy Foundation and the World Health Organization. The retailer is also donating protective gear as well as using its social media platform to help groups like the Red Cross reach more people than they normally would. The parent company of H&M, H&M Group, is also shifting the supply chains to produce personal protective gear for medical centers and health care workers.