Case Study: How Bira 91 Reinvented Customer Engagement with URBar

Introduction

The Bira 91, India’s largest alco-beverage chain, has been at the forefront of leveraging technology to enhance customer experience. With the launch of URBar, a virtual bar that allows consumers to reserve and consume their favorite alcoholic beverages, the brand has set a new benchmark in the industry. This initiative highlights how businesses can use technology-driven loyalty programs to redefine customer engagement and drive repeat purchases.

The Challenge

As a premium alco-beverage chain with outlets spread across multiple cities, The Bira 91 faced challenges in ensuring customer retention, seamless transactions, and personalized experiences. Traditional loyalty programs were not enough to address the changing consumer behavior, where digital convenience and flexible consumption were key expectations.

The Solution: URBar

To tackle these challenges, The Bira 91 introduced URBar, a digital-first solution that serves as a wallet for customers’ drinks. This innovation allowed consumers to:

• Pre-purchase their favorite alcoholic beverages at a special price.
• Store them virtually in their URBar account.
• Consume their stock at any Beer Café outlet across 12 cities.
• Gift portions of their reserved stock to friends, family, or colleagues.
• Lock in prices for cost consistency.

URBar functions as a prepaid instrument, where the stock diminishes as consumers consume, making it a seamless and engaging experience for customers.

Seamless Integration with Digital Payments

URBar leverages The Bira 91’s digital ecosystem by integrating multiple payment options. Customers can:

• Recharge their account via the Bira 91 mobile app.
• Use the in-app currency “Brew Bucks” to manage their purchases.
• Make payments at the store through the “pay at store” feature.

This multi-channel payment flexibility enhances user experience and ensures smooth transactions.

Driving Loyalty through Gamification

URBar is part of The Bira 91’s broader loyalty strategy, which includes:

• Brew Miles: A customer loyalty program rewarding users with points for every rupee spent.
• Beermore Cards: Prepaid debit-style cards offering bonus top-ups up to Rs 15,000.
• Beery Important Person (BIP) Program: A membership program offering exclusive discounts (10-50%) based on the user’s membership level.
• PYOB (Pour Your Own Beer): A self-service beer wall where customers can customize their drinks, scan a code via the app, and avoid service charges.

The Impact

URBar has transformed how consumers interact with The Bira 91 brand. The key outcomes include:

• Increased Customer Retention: The ability to pre-purchase and consume at leisure encourages repeat visits.
• Higher Customer Spend: Bulk purchases and prepaid models lead to increased transaction values.
• Enhanced Digital Adoption: The seamless app experience has driven mobile app usage and engagement.
• Social Engagement & Virality: The gifting feature encourages social sharing and word-of-mouth promotion.

Key Takeaways for Brands Implementing Digital Loyalty Solutions

• Personalization & Flexibility: Giving customers control over their purchases enhances engagement.
• Seamless Digital Experience: Integrating loyalty with digital payments creates convenience.
• Gamification & Rewards: Introducing fun, interactive elements keeps customers invested.
• Omnichannel Accessibility: Enabling loyalty across multiple touchpoints ensures higher adoption.

Conclusion

The Bira 91’s URBar is a prime example of how brands can leverage technology-driven loyalty programs to enhance customer experiences. By providing a digital-first, seamless, and rewarding engagement model, The Beer Café has successfully set a precedent for businesses looking to innovate in the alco-beverage space.

At Kringle.ai, we help brands build, manage, and optimize loyalty programs that drive engagement and revenue. If you’re looking to implement a gamified, data-driven approach to customer loyalty, let’s talk!