Latest news with #loyaltyscheme
Telegraph
13-07-2025
- Business
- Telegraph
Vitality rows back on loyalty changes after members threaten to leave
Vitality has rowed back on changes to its loyalty scheme after customers threatened to cancel their policies in response to a points shake-up. The health insurer revamped its membership programme in April and introduced a weekly game where customers had to find a cartoon dachshund to earn rewards. However, The Telegraph spoke to dozens of members who threatened to cancel their insurance policies over claims the game was a cover for watering down the rewards available – a suggestion which Vitality strongly denied. Vitality's loyalty scheme rewards members for their healthy lifestyle choices. Walking a certain number of steps a day, going to the gym or completing a Parkrun can all accumulate points that can be converted into monthly rewards. However, anger arose after an upgrade in April meant members that made healthy lifestyle changes would be offered the chance to play a game within the app each week to claim monthly rewards. Members would have to find a number of hidden dogs named Stanley to earn points. Less than three months after rolling out the changes to its 1.9 million members, Nick Read, managing director, admitted in a letter to members that some aspects were not 'resonating as we had hoped'. Although the game has not been removed, members will no longer need to play to earn up to two monthly rewards each month which include cinema tickets, restaurant meals and food delivery discounts. Weekly rewards have also been improved to give customers more choice. Members can now choose any two rewards between a drink at Caffè Nero, 25pc off a meal at Itsu and 50pc off a cinema ticket at Vue or Odeon. The Stanley game will remain, giving members a chance to earn additional rewards. Martyn James, a consumer champion, said: 'While it's disappointing when businesses make decisions that appear to reduce the benefits of their products to their consumers, it's heartening to see that they listen when people make it clear they are unhappy. 'So it's gratifying that Vitality has made a consumer focused decision so quickly after The Telegraph's recent article.' Alex McCann, who has been a member since 2015, also welcomed the news and praised Vitality for listening to its customers. The small business owner said: 'This goes to show the power that consumers have. The outrage on social media was visible as soon as the initial changes in the reward system were announced. 'I'm surprised it took them so long to do a U-turn. Although the full details haven't been announced yet, I feel it's a positive step. Business is all about listening to customers.' Another member told The Telegraph: 'I'm pleased that Vitality has listened to user feedback, and I think the changes could become a positive example of listening to customer feedback. Removing the need to play the Stanley game for weekly and monthly rewards is what we wanted to see so that's great.' Nick Read, of Vitality, said: 'We always look to ensure everything we do gives each of our members the best outcomes, both through their insurance with us, and the support we offer them to live a longer healthier life. 'Our members' views always matter to us, and the recently announced changes build on our members' feedback, and our launch earlier this year. It will provide even more value, going further to support our members to be active and get more rewards when they do so.'
Daily Mail
11-07-2025
- Business
- Daily Mail
Six tricks to turbocharge your Boots Advantage card points
One in four Britons has a Boots Advantage Card – and nearly half of all women. And new research by the high street giant reveals not only how popular the loyalty scheme is, but also how people are spending their points. Boots found that 74 per cent of customers save their points for at least six months before redeeming them. Women are more likely to save their points over several years to purchase big–ticket items, worth £50 or more. The typical Boots Advantage Card member spends their points twice a year, according to the findings. Most customers stash away their Boots points in order to help fund larger and pricier purchases, Boots said. Many customers are saving up for coveted items including the £479.99 Dyson Airwrap, Fitbits and premium beauty brands. While half of members use points for daily necessities, 35 per cent of members splurge on premium beauty. This year alone, over 80,000 Boots customers spent their points on No7 Future Renew anti–ageing products, while 19,000 customers treated themselves to Dior make–up, skincare and perfumes. A smaller, but active, group, comprising 4 per cent of 'serial redeemers', redeem points frequently on daily essentials like cleansing wipes, tissues and bottled water, particularly parents using points for baby and parenting products. As of the end of May, 40 per cent of Boots customers said they spent most of their points during the expensive Christmas period. I saved up £300 worth of Boots points Liv, 26, lives in Worcestershire and works as a ballet and pilates teacher. After a decade of using her Boots Advantage Card, the savvy shopper had always made the most of promotions and sales. However, last July she decided to step it up. Inspired by the Recycle at Boots scheme, where shoppers earn Advantage points for bringing in old beauty product containers, she decided to try to save £300 worth of points – the full retail price of an LED face mask she had been eyeing up. Liv said: 'I started saving more intentionally from July 2024, especially when I realised how much I could benefit from the recycling scheme. 'From there, I got strategic — using the Boots app to spot double points events, doing bigger shops around Christmas, and timing my purchases carefully to make every point count.' Over the next nine months, Liv built her Boots Advantage Card balance to just over 27,000 points. The LED mask went on offer at Boots and Liv was able to redeem the full cost using her points, with around £10 worth still left on her card. Friends and family, including Liz's grandmother and aunt, helped contribute their health and beauty empties for her to recycle. Liv said: 'Everyone got behind me when they heard what I was saving for – and once I finally got it and showed them it was the real deal, they were all so excited. Now they're buzzing about the scheme too!' Liv shops at Boots three or more times a month, often bringing in recyclables each visit. Her go–to purchases include skincare, vitamins, haircare, makeup, and products she uses to support her work as a dance instructor. How to maximise points at Boots Shoppers with a Boots loyalty card can buy something in–store, online or via the Boots app and collect three points for every £1 spent. If you build up, for example, 1,234 points, you will have £12.34 to spend at Boots. To pay for your shopping using your points balance, you will need the full amount as you cannot split payments between points and cash. You will be able to check in–store, online or on the app how many points you have and what they are worth. There are a number of different ways to maximise the number of points you can earn on your Boots Advantage Card. 1. Consider downloading the Boots app Check whether you could benefit from downloading the Boots Advantage Card app. Via the app, you will be able to see your tailored Boots Advantage Card offers listed, just as you can if you do not use the app but still have an online Boots account. Boots does also still send points offers via post for those who want them. If you go for the app, have a look at the 'view offers' section. Offers vary, but double, triple or even quadruple points offers are sometimes available on certain products. Offers typically change every month and you will need to load them onto your card via the app. 2. Recycle for points You can recycle empty beauty, cosmetics and health packaging to get a Boots points boost worth up to £5. The Recycle at Boots scheme will take care of the health and beauty empties you cannot typically recycle at home. To use the scheme, shoppers will need to download the chain's Recycle at Boots app and bring their empty and washed items into an in–store drop–off point. If you recycle five eligible empties or more and spend £10 in–store, you can collect 500 Advantage Card points. Only items listed in the drop–down list in the Scan2Recycle system will be eligible for a reward, Boots said. 3. Get the over 60s involved Anyone 60 or over is eligible to join Boots Over 60s rewards scheme, offering eight points for every £1 spent on Boots own–brand products and a selection of other brands, including Botanics and Natural Collection. As part of the over–60s scheme, shoppers can also get access to exclusive in–store events and offers. The offers can be used on top of the Boots Advantage prices offer for loyalty card holders. 4. Make the most of Advantage card prices Like many supermarkets such as Sainsbury's and Tesco, Boots is now offering lower prices on thousands of products for members. Only shoppers with a Boots Advantage Card will be eligible to make use of the lower prices. The range of products where loyalty prices are on offer varies, but it it sometimes possible to get 50 per cent off the price a non–member would pay. 5. Sign up to the parenting club Parents with children under the age of five can sign up to Boots' Parenting Club to boosts their points balance. Parents signed up to the scheme can get eight points per £1 on their baby shop, exclusive savings, in–store events and free gifts. The scheme is 20 this year and Boots has said there will be bonus offers up for grabs. 6. Make the most of your birthday Boots offers double points to members during their birthday month, enabling shoppers to get six points for every £1 spent. To get the birthday bonus, your date of birth will need to be detailed in your Boots Advantage Card account. The offer will also, as with other offers, need to be loaded onto your Boots card.
The Sun
20-06-2025
- Business
- The Sun
Huge brewer is introducing Friday beers discount and free pint loyalty scheme at more than 120 pubs
A MAJOR pub group is rolling out Friday evening drinks discounts and a free pint loyalty scheme in a fresh bid to win back customers. Butcombe, which runs more than 120 pubs across the UK including in the South West, is offering a 20 per cent discount on all drinks bought on Friday evenings – traditionally the busiest time of the week for locals. 2 The group is also giving away a free pint to customers for every five pints of Butcombe beer they purchase, as part of an upgraded loyalty programme aimed at boosting pub visits. Jonathan Lawson, chief executive of Butcombe, told the Financial Times that getting customers to return more frequently had become 'kind of the holy grail' for the industry. He said the biggest worry for pub operators right now is the drop in how often customers are visiting. With rising living costs, more people are choosing to drink at home, or cut down altogether. The Friday night drinks deal and beer club perks are Butcombe's answer to that trend. The loyalty scheme appears to be working – Butcombe said sales from loyalty card users made up 22 per cent of its total business in the first three months of this year. And Butcombe isn't alone. Greene King, which owns more than 2,700 pubs across the UK, is preparing to launch its first-ever app-based loyalty scheme. According to insiders, customers could soon earn discounts on everything from pints to pub grub and even overnight stays. The pub chain, which also runs the Chef & Brewer and Hungry Horse brands, recently made headlines by giving away 100,000 free pints during April. Customers just had to walk up to the bar and say, 'It's raining, can I have a free pint?' Other chains are following suit. Mitchells & Butlers – behind the likes of All Bar One and Harvester – is trialling a points system, while Fuller's is testing out rewards like two-for-one meals and free glasses of wine at 30 of its pubs. Industry experts say these kinds of offers are now becoming the norm. Saxon Moseley, hospitality lead at consulting firm RSM, said: 'Loyalty schemes are quickly becoming table stakes. "Pubs that don't offer one risk missing out.' It's all part of a wider effort to modernise how pubs attract and keep customers. Stonegate, the UK's biggest pub group with over 4,500 sites, spent £2 million developing its own loyalty app, which even includes a game where users can 'spin to win' a free pint. Chief executive David McDowall said loyalty schemes were now the industry's 'most important marketing tool'. He added: 'Pubs have been a little behind the rest of the hospitality industry. We are playing catch-up.' Meanwhile, more traditional players like Wetherspoons are staying out of the loyalty game – for now. Known for already offering some of the lowest prices on the high street, the chain says it has no plans to launch a points or rewards system. But with younger drinkers becoming more health-conscious and older customers tightening their wallets, loyalty offers could be what keeps some punters heading to the pub. NHS guidelines on drinking alcohol According to the NHS, regularly drinking more than 14 units of alcohol a week risks damaging your health. To keep health risks from alcohol to a low level if you drink most weeks: men and women are advised not to drink more than 14 units a week on a regular basis spread your drinking over 3 or more days if you regularly drink as much as 14 units a week if you want to cut down, try to have several drink-free days each week If you're pregnant or think you could become pregnant, the safest approach is not to drink alcohol at all to keep risks to your baby to a minimum. You read more on the NHS website. 2
The Sun
17-06-2025
- Business
- The Sun
Poundland plans to close 68 stores and STOP selling popular range as part of rescue deal to save chain
POUNDLAND will shut 68 of its stores as part of a restructuring plan, it has been revealed. The struggling discount chain has announced a huge series of changes aimed at keeping itself afloat. It will also ditch its frozen food items, get rid of its loyalty scheme app and stop selling products online. Last week the retail chain was sold for just £1 to investment fund Gordon Brothers.
