To think loyalty schemes are being downgraded?

[catsarekeytohappiness]

M&S has made their Sparks scheme even worse. No more 20% off, now you have to spend x amount for a ‘reward’.

Boots is scrapping their 10% discount on their products for Advantage card members.

Cult Beauty has scrapped / changed the free delivery schemes for silver and gold members.

Now Lidl is getting rid of Coupon Plus and replacing it with something else (I’m sure it will be a downgrade).

Nectar is already rubbish with their rewards and only getting 0.5p back per £10.

It’s only a matter of time before Tesco Clubcard stops their double up scheme with reward partners and changes it to their flat value. I remember when you got 2 points per pound and could exchange for 4x the value.

Yes, I absolutely agree. I guess it was always going to happen though.

I thought that last night when I got an email from Lidl! I suppose shops are finding it’s hitting their profits

as with anything as soon as it costs the companies profits,

Of course! They’ve had what they want from you - your data - why would they continue ‘rewarding’ you for it?!

We have a household rule: no loyalty cards, no e-mail receipts. We protect our data like we protect all of our other belongings.

Companies are only 'loyal' to obtaining new customers. They happily screw over existing customers as they take them for granted and take advantage of people assuming they're still getting the best for their money.

Stop giving them your data. Ask to be removed from the scheme.

Yes they are being downgraded and I’m just over them now. I find it so annoying you have to add the coupon/voucher I would rather life went neck to everything just being a price for everyone. Everyday things such as food, energy were just one price none of this messing around. I think life has become more stressful now we have all this data and choices.

I find all of them very confusing and not really to my benefit. Anyway they are all just data gathering tarted up as a perk for the "loyal" customers.

The Asda one as turned rubbish too. I never used it as my main shop but I use to get at least £50 back via their rewards. Now I'm not even touching £3.

The data was initially worth enough to them to pay you for it. Now they have conditioned you to providing it. I also suspect as cost of living has bitten, people have responded less & less to marketing/deals/clever pricing to encourage higher spending (which is what they wanted the data for).

At the end of the day if you are hard up & doing your online shop knowing you have £100 to spend and no more, you are going to be stronger in resisting the pre checkout offers etc.

I think people do get immune to marketing too. I swipe through the various add on very fast now & ignore them all. I know what I need to buy and thats what I buy.

I think they are just all looking at Aldi which is doing very well without the need for any sort of loyalty card. The entire retail environment has changed and so have the loyalty schemes. Consumers are more interested in cheaper prices than accumulating points.

I was never that bothered about the whole "they have your data" thing. Meh, so what if Tesco can work out I usually shop on a Wednesday and buy fat free yoghurt and diet coke.

I really have no idea what the point of my sparks card is! I’ve been scanning it when I shop, but what’s the point? I can’t work it out!

The only one that seems to have got better is Waitrose with their little rewards and coupons, paying more in the first place though!

I agree M&S have butchered their loyalty scheme. It was so much more straightforward before.

If you do the Clubcard challenges you can stack up points on brands / items you already buy, it really is the best.

My nectar I convert to BA air miles but even with a few long haul flights thrown in they don’t amount to anything usable. Tips on how to make airmiles actually of value wpuld be great.

Same. I stopped when it was upgraded recently and stopped working on my phone. To answer your question, imv the point is to provide the organisation with free information about customer spending

Is there anything wrong with Tesco having my data? Why are my shopping habits something that needs ‘protected’?

Maybe I don't want to be identified as the person who bought 144 condoms, even though I'm grossly oversexed.

I'm trying to look at it as a positive for Lidl. I'm going back to home delivery with Tesco so not going to be tempted to pick up random treats.

I used to get the 10% off and use that on a £200 shop at the start of the month..we was top 10% spenders in our local store. Not any more!

Sparks, Asda and Lidl rewards are useless now. I don't even scan mine in Asda now when I rarely go

Me either? Was in there yesterday, when asked if I had Sparks I just said no, it is pointless, not worth the effort to get my phone out.

Nectar prices are okay and you get personalised offers. I also get my petrol (full tank a week) from Sainsbury’s so it does work out for me.

Couldn’t care less about them having my data. I’ve been online shppping in various guises for 25 years + and nothing has ever happened.

margins are slim and lets be honest no one really impressed these schemes

there businesses not Robin Hood re distributing wealth

the sole purpose of these schemes is tactical marketing not to reward the customer

They will have crunched the number and analysed heaps of data to conclude that they’re likely to make more money by downgrading their loyalty schemes. And that’s what will happen, because they’ve got us where they want us. There is no more captive a market than supermarket shopper (pretty much everyone),

I mostly collect nectar points, buy to get the best value, I rotate who I shop with.

When nectar misses me, they send me 5x the points and money off. When Ocado misses me, they send me a £20 voucher. Amd when my bank is offering 8% cashback, I'm a Waitrose (own brand) shopper.
I'm only loyal to whoever is giving me something.

There is a charity element to the M&S rewards card, the website says that since 2020 they have raised £19.3 million for charity, and my chosen charity (Dementia UK) has received £175,410.

Their choice of charities is tiny though.

So? It obviously costs them to administer the donations. So they partner with their chosen organisations and allow you to choose whether you want to support RSPB, Great Ormond St, Guide Dogs, RNLI... you cannot seriously expect them to allow everyone to choose their own charity.