The grocery giant Empire Company Ltd. is moving forward with a new loyalty program after becoming a co-owner of the Scene + program managed by Cineplex Inc. and Scotiabank.
The three parties announced the new partnership on Tuesday. The theater operator and bank said the addition will allow Scene + members to earn and redeem points at most grocery store supermarkets, including Sobeys, Safeway, Foodland, IGA, FreshCo, Needs, Thrifty Foods, Les Marches Tradition, Rachelle Bery and Lawtons Drugs.
Scene + allows cardholders to earn points when they buy movie tickets at Cineplex, meals at Recipe Unlimited Corp. restaurants such as Swiss Chalet and Harvey’s, and when they bank with Scotiabank. Points can be redeemed for purchases made with these and other companies.
The deal could make the program more lucrative because it expands the list of stores that can use Scene + and exposes all owners to customers of Empire, a consumer base that makes frequent shopping trips.
The story continues under the ad
Read more: Ottawa will conduct a public interest assessment of the WestJet-Sunwing agreement
“We have three major Canadian brands, and we believe that with the Scene + loyalty program, we will basically improve the reach of all our members, with the addition of groceries and everything else we have,” said Ellis Jacob, head of Cineplex. . executive.
“For me, it’s a big win for Canadian consumers and a big win for our program as we move forward.”
Jacquelin Weatherbee, vice president of communications and corporate affairs for Empire, said the grocery chain should not pay for its co-ownership status because of the “opportunity” it offered to all partners.
Trend stories
-
The government has been “surprised” by the increase in trips to Toronto airport: the former executive of the airline
-
“I heard a shout”: Amanda Todd’s mother explains BC’s trial over the “sextortion” incident
When asked if the property was structured at 33.33 per cent each, Dan Rees, head of Scotiabank’s Canadian banking group, said “we are all equal partners”.
He added that millions of Canadians enjoy Cineplex entertainment every year. Scotiabank and its Tangerine brand have 10 million customers, Empire has about 10 million and Scene + about 11 million members.
The launch of Scene + on Empire channels and through its Voila delivery service will begin in Atlantic Canada in 2022 and, in early 2023, will be launched in supermarkets across the country.
Read more: Hamilton police are looking for an entry suspect
The story continues under the ad
However, the program will not be available in their Farm Boy or Longo’s stores.
“We’re always looking for new opportunities to help evolve and expand (the offering) so that they aren’t part of the current launch plan, but we’ll have some considerations for the future,” Weatherbee said.
At an undisclosed date, Scene + will be accepted into Empire’s network of liquor stores in western Canada.
Competitor Loblaw Companies Ltd. has long been running its own loyalty program that can be used in its grocery stores and drugstores, while Metro Inc. has its own program in Quebec, uses Air Miles in Ontario and Thunder Bucks in Thunder Bay.
Empire has long relied on Air Miles, which it will now phase out.
Buyers will be able to earn Air Miles until the Scene + program is launched in their region.
Empire had “many suitors” when it began exploring a loyalty program, but Weatherbee said it opted for Scene + because it was a program in which customers were “overwhelmingly” interested.
Weatherbee said the consumer profile is changing and they want loyalty programs that are diverse.
“They want to choose when, where and how they can earn and trade, and individual-owned programs don’t offer that experience.”
The story continues under the ad
Scene + was originally created by Cineplex and Scotiabank in 2007, but was relaunched in 2021 with a plethora of new partners and benefits for cardholders.
© 2022 The Canadian Press