This year, Checkout commemorates its 40th anniversary under its current ownership, and with this in mind, every week, Retail Intelligence is going to ‘reel in the years’ and publish a story from our extensive archives. This article from June 2003 looks back at Superquinn's decision to partner its SuperClub loyalty scheme with Argos.
The 800,000 members of Superquinn’s loyalty scheme SuperClub are to receive vastly improved benefits following a major review of the ten-year old programme.
Under the new scheme, to be launched in August, SuperClub members will be able to redeem their points to shop for over 9,000 gifts in the Argos catalogue, in any Argos shop in the Republic of Ireland, or to get instant discounts on their shopping bill at Superquinn.
No other loyalty scheme in the Irish market offers a facility for instant redemption of points. The new SuperClub is designed to give customers the potential to earn significantly more points and Superquinn is to gain a competitive advantage.
Under the new scheme customers will collect bonus points, to be called SuperCent. One hundred SuperCents equals one euro. SuperCents can be converted to euros and ‘spent’ immediately at checkouts or exchanged into gift vouchers to shop at Argos. Customers who have points accumulated under the existing scheme will automatically transfer to the new scheme without any action needed on their part. Their points will be automatically converted to the equivalent value in SuperCent and members will receive an up to date statement of their account.
Currently, 630 SuperClub points converts to a €5 Superquinn shopping voucher. Under the new scheme, 500 SuperCent will also be worth €5, so the real value of points remains the same. Points already accumulated by SuperClub members will be automatically converted at the rate of 630 points to 500 SuperCent.
Ten years old this month, SuperClub was the first loyalty programme of its type in Europe. It has been the model for similar schemes in Ireland as well as Brazil, Scandanaivia, Portugal and South Africa. Currently over 800,000 customers participate in the scheme. Over 70% of members use their points to buy catalogue gifts.
Eamonn Quinn, deputy chairman of Superquinn, said that after ten years' experience operating SuperClub, the supermarket decided to refresh the loyalty programme to build on its strengths.
“We set out to develop a new programme with enhanced benefits that would reward our customers for their loyalty. Following extensive research and investment in world-class technology, we now have a new loyalty scheme that is unique and ahead of its time.”
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