Retailers and brands are always trying to think of new ways to enhance their loyalty programs and for Selfridges, the latest enhancement is that it’s decided to reward… time spent in its stores.

That’s part of its latest enhancement for its now two-year-old Selfridges Unlocked scheme, which has started enabling people to collect digital keys when they visit its stores or attend its events, as well as the regular rewards when buying products.

So a visit to its free in-store skate park could mean they can access keys.  They can build up keys as well by dining at its restaurants, using its beauty services, visiting its Cinema, or attending a bookable event, even if nothing else is bought.

And the new expanded digital keys offer a link back to the retailer’s history as founder Howard Gordon Selfridge gave keys to his first customers in 1909.

That of course was at the London Oxford Street branch, which was the only Selfridges branch for many years. But the new scheme is available in Birmingham and Manchester as well.

The expanded programme remains free to join and COO Leonie Foster called its enhancement an innovation and an industry first.

There are currently 1.3 million+ active Unlocked members all of whom are eligible to access the new programme.

Importantly, there are multiple levels to Unlocked – as with many loyalty programmes for luxury stores – with Keyholders able to move up to unlock richer perks.

They can even achieve VSP status. That stands for ‘Very Selfridges Person’ and it’s achieved by collecting 200 keys, which recognises not just spending as is the case with such schemes usually, but engagement too.

The benefits of being a VSP are all about priority access and personalisation as well as unique experiences.

Previous experiences for Unlocked Keyholders have included meeting Claudia Schiffer and Victoria Beckham, as well as a Versace catwalk show screening in The Cinema and the opportunity to shop at Selfridges out of hours. 

And the company said that the programme will continue to expand throughout this year and it’s planning more opportunities to earn keys.