The Shoppers effect: more loyalty programs for Canadian retailers

Wallets around Toronto are about to get a lot more full—not of cash, sadly (save for a few HST cheques), but of reward cards, as retailers scramble to revamp programs to engender customer loyalty. Wal-Mart is launching a reward program tied to its new bank (one more step in taking over the world) and MasterCard-issued plastic. Analysts are predicting that the program will prove to be stiff competition for other retailers, like Shoppers, whose Optimum card is considered the gold standard of loyalty cards.

Canadian Tire is also planning to update its loyalty offerings—bringing into question the future of the cash program that for years saw our kitchen drawer littered with useless bills—along with Loblaws, Hudson’s Bay Corp. and HMV. Now, if only someone could convince the LCBO to start a points program, we’d be set.

• Retailers rushing to join the loyalty bandwagon [Globe and Mail]