As I was in Urban Outfitters yesterday buying some fridge magnets I didn’t really need (c’mon, they were those iPhone button magnets, how could I resist?), I was waiting for my receipt and found that instead of providing a paper receipt, they took down my e-mail address. I’d get the receipt e-mailed to me.
A little move but actually quite brilliant when you think about it. They now captured my e-mail address and had a new way to connect with someone who had clearly shopped at the store. As long as they don’t bombard me with daily messages, it’s a smart maneuver on their part.
Not to mention it’s environmentally friendly. If we did away with all paper receipts and did them all electronically, we’d save a few more trees for sure.
Whether yours is a retail environment or not, consider how you can convert from paper receipts to electronic receipts to connect with them. It might be a more natural way to market to people vs. hitting them up to open a card/account that demands more of the money they just spent with you already.
What’s not to like here? Have some simple ways like this that you set the table for a relationship online with customers during their buying transactions in an offline setting that you’d like to share?
Chicago Brander 
Apple has been doing this for a while now, and I’m a big fan. Its so much easier to find an email if you need your receipt later, and it eliminates a lot of waste.
Good call, Kathryn. Apple certainly has been a trendsetter on the paperless front. And the fact that their associates can perform checkout anywhere in the store, not just the front counter. Judging from the swarm they get any given weekend between simple technical questions and purchases, I’d say all of that is a very good thing.