@loyalcustomer Lovely to see you today – drop by soon!

US trade magazine Natural Food Merchandiser (NFM) has reported on the growing trend for “high-tech thank yous”.

More and more retailers it says are using social media as a way of thanking regular shoppers for their custom. Examples show that messages vary from the formal to the cheesy. On matters of style one retailer here in Britain told us: “We just try to be ‘ourselves’ when we Tweet to our regulars – you don’t want to end up sounding corporate. Friendly and chatty works best in the main.”

Many of these thank you messages are sent spontaneously, but some retailers have initiated a thank you-campaign, thanking followers and facebook friends once a week or fortnight.