In episode 412 of Total Retail Talks, Editor-in-Chief Joe Keenan interviews Jenna O'Connor, senior director of loyalty marketing, and Allison Bentley, senior director of merchandising initiatives at GNC, a leading global health and wellness brand. O'Connor and Bentley discuss their roles at GNC (0:55), how the myGNC Rewards loyalty program factors into the organization's overall transformation (2:20), and the launch of the GNC Health program (3:40).
Furthermore, O'Connor and Bentley share why loyalty and subscription programs are essential to GNC's growth (4:30), as well as how their teams leverage customer and product data to improve the customer experience (6:40). They discuss how GNC creates a seamless omnichannel experience for shoppers (9:30) and the metrics they're tracking to gauge the effectiveness of its loyalty program (11:30). Lastly, O'Connor and Bentley share the loyalty and technology trends they're tracking for the industry right now (13:35).
This episode was recorded live at CRMC 2023 in Chicago. The podcast series is sponsored by PRIMO.
Allison Bentley is an accomplished merchandising and strategic professional with over 17 years of experience driving top-level brand strategy, sales and consumer-centric programs for global companies. In her role at GNC, Bentley has a dedicated focus on driving categorical innovation and differentiation to deliver increased revenue, market share growth, and heightened consumer relevancy and loyalty. Noted for her ability to develop, lead and implement successful multichannel merchandising approaches, Bentley has led similar engagements at well-respected brands and retailers. Most notably during her 10 years at Zappos.com, Bentley led merchandising efforts for the e-commerce giant across its women’s fashion division leading business, assortment and strategic initiatives for the online retailer, achieving year-over-year increases in sales and operating profit, while reducing inventory costs.
Jenna O’Connor is senior director, loyalty marketing at GNC where she leads the strategic vision and performance of the company’s multitier, consumer-centric myGNC Rewards and GNC PRO Access programs, all of which deliver innovative ways for consumers to be inspired and rewarded for their engagement, healthy behaviors and loyalty to GNC. With more than 25 years of experience in direct marketing, CRM and loyalty initiatives, O'Connor has championed the continued modernization of these programs translating her expertise and experience into a great loyalty experience for millions of GNC customers across the world. In addition to GNC, O’Connor honed her skills in roles with Accudata, Education Management Corporation and others. A graduate of Point Park University, O’Connor was formerly an AFAA Group Fitness Instructor and SCW-certified personal trainer. She volunteers with GNC’s Live Well Foundation.
