[INTERVIEW] Moe Ghafari, Founder and CEO of Pointsgram

Today, we have the pleasure of interviewing Moe Ghafari, Co-founder and CEO of Pointsgram Canada. He shares with us what Pointsgram is about and what else they are working. Thank you Moe for taking the time to answer our questions.

1) Please tell us about yourself and your role with Pointsgram?

I am Moe, the founder and CEO of Pointsgram. With over 20 years of experience in the technology sector and active involvement in the local community, I’ve always pondered: How can we infuse more technology into our local economy to foster its growth and promote sustainability? After engaging with over 100 local shops and understanding their challenges, I’ve made it my mission to launch a tech-based company with three primary goals: empower local businesses to thrive, encourage consumers to support local shopping, and leverage data insights and analytics to digitally transform the entire sector. Additionally, drawing on my deep tech background, I also serve as the CTO of Pointsgram, while collaborating with talented partners to manage other aspects of the business.

2) What is Pointsgram about?

Pointsgram is a technology startup with a mission to elevate local shopping experiences. Our cloud-based customer engagement platform is innovatively designed to unite local businesses and amplify the positive impact of community-based solutions. With Pointsgram, we collaborate with both local shops and consumers.

For local shops, membership in our network grants access to tools such as customer rewards, offer management, shopping data analysis, and focused-targeted channels for engagement and promotion. Our tools have increased customer loyalty, retention, and eventually revenues for engaged shops

For consumers, we enhance their local shopping journey with incentives, offers, rewards, with an overall money-saving approach. They now have a rewarding journey where they collect points at any member shop of the network, and redeem points anywhere in the network as well, a true community-based program. Additionally, we regularly engage with the community to promote Pointsgram and emphasize the importance of supporting local shops, showcasing our network members. In fact, our in-person booth in Mississauga has become a popular spot for lovely community engagements in one of the major plazas.

3) What should Canadians specifically look out for with your site?

When Canadians are on our user-friendly app, they not only access a diverse array of local offers from nearby shops but also contribute to a thriving local economy. It’s a win-win scenario: shoppers enjoy points, rewards, and exclusive deals while supporting their community businesses.

Our app rewards users for their loyalty and engagement in various ways. Whether it’s through shopping at any member of our extensive network of local businesses, inviting friends to join our community, or actively engaging with our online content and in-person events, users have multiple avenues to accumulate rewards and unlock money-saving options.

In addition to these exciting features, our users are presented with a local shopping map within the app. This interactive map showcases a range of shopping options spanning from food and beverages to unique gifts, top quality perfumes, essential personal care items, tempting sweets, auto shops, hair salons, and much more, making their local shopping experience rewarding, convenient, and enjoyable

4) What are you working on going forward?

We’re always striving to introduce new empowering tools for both our shops and consumers. We believe in the power of community, where everyone shares the same goal of supporting local businesses and sustainability. As our network continues to grow, we’re focused on providing shops with valuable marketing insights to help them make informed decisions based on data. Additionally, we’re addressing key challenges faced by these shops, such as finding talented individuals, enhancing their e-commerce capabilities, and expanding their community outreach efforts.

From the consumer’s perspective, we’re committed to enhancing their experience by adding more engaging tools. This includes offering more rewards, providing access to a wider range of shops within our network, and helping them save money through our exclusive offers and deals. By continuously improving and expanding our platform, we aim to create a win-win situation where both shops and consumers benefit from being part of our community.

5) Do you have any thoughts?

Pointsgram originated from a clear need: local shops lacking digital support and a large population keen on local shopping but also seeking savings. With a vibrant & healthy consumer culture, the local shopping market holds immense potential. Let’s collaborate to elevate local shopping to new heights.