A service named Flock has launched in Auckland to help walk-in businesses keep in touch with their customers and bring them back.

Auckland local Steve Pulley, who has spent years helping local business owners grow their customer base, launched Flock late last month to help owners contact their loyal regulars.

The service features a simple printed counter stand that holds a QR code, allowing customers to scan it on their phone, enter their number, and join the owner’s text list in under a minute. No app, table, or even staff are needed.

The first clients are merchants across the North Shore and Hibiscus Coast. Each gets a custom-branded counter stand, a real-time dashboard showing every customer who has joined their list, and full ownership of their contact data from day one. 

“Walk-in businesses are in a different position to service businesses,” Pulley said. “A dentist has a client’s contact details because the appointment requires it. A walk-in business often has no idea who just came in and made a purchase. No booking was required. No invoice was raised. Flock is built for that gap.”

When the owner wants to fill a quiet Tuesday or promote a new special, they only need to send one text, he continued, adding that a text reaches 95 per cent of recipients while a Facebook post reaches around 5 per cent.

“We started local because that’s where we could see the problem most clearly,” Pulley said. “But every suburb in Auckland has the same businesses facing the same problem. If an owner wants to stop losing track of the customers they’ve already earned, this is built for them.”