Morrisons is trialling an update to its loyalty card scheme in North East stores from today.
The retailer is following the lead set recently by both Sainsbury’s and Co-Op in introducing cheaper prices for members of its loyalty programme. All three retailers are hoping the changes will emulate the success of Tesco’s Clubcard Prices, which offers reductions for loyalty card holders not available to those who do not join up.
Morrisons could not confirm which stores have been chosen for the trial of the return to the More loyalty card, but as the grocery giant has fewer than 30 stores in the North East, most will be taking part in the pilot. The scheme is expected to be rolled out nationwide in the summer.
Morrisons More loyalty card was scrapped in May 2021 to make way for the the My Morrisons app. The Morrisons More scheme allowed customers to collect points, which they could then use to spend in stores and online, whereas the My Morrisons app gives shoppers personalised discounts and offers in stores.
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The revamp to its loyalty programme is the store chain's latest bid to win back shoppers after losing its spot as the UK’s fourth biggest grocer to Aldi last September.
Morrisons embarked on a raft of price reductions since the beginning of the year, with 820 products reduced in January, and an additional 64 items last month. The beleaguered retailer also relaunched its Savers range earlier this month as it looks to stop shoppers from switching to the discount grocers. The plans seem to have paid off, as the retailer revealed it had returned to sales growth in its first quarter last month, with a 3.4% rise in total sales to £4.7bn.
“We are continuing to invest in our loyalty scheme to make sure it offers our customers great value and builds on the popularity of My Morrisons Exclusives,” a Morrisons spokesman told trade magazine The Grocer. “We are currently conducting a trial in order to listen to customer feedback before we roll out any changes nationally.”
The More revamp will bring back points and More Card Fivers - customers need to earn 5,000 points to get to a More Card Fiver, which is worth £5. Shoppers will also be able to earn five points for every litre of fuel purchased at Morrisons forecourts, according to The Mirror.
Since the cost of living crisis began, the supermarket price war has ramped up significantly, with major chains offering major discounts and incentives to attract customers. Many of the major chains have announced price reductions and freezes on their products as they compete with German discounters Aldi and Lidl.
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