Everyday Rewards (Australia)

:"This article is about the Australian Everyday Rewards program. For the US program see Everyday Rewards (US)."Everyday Rewards is an Australian loyalty program operated by Woolworths supermarkets. Earned fuel saving offers are stored electronically on the Everyday Rewards card, thus eliminating the need for shoppers to retain paper coupons previously used for this purpose. Fuel Discounts are redeemable at Caltex Woolworths/Safeway outlets.

History

Everyday Rewards was first trialled in central west New South Wales from September 2007. [citation|publisher=Australian Financial Review|title=Fuel change on the cards|page=20|date=6 September 2007] This followed Woolworths' announcement that is was planning to launch a general purpose credit card in 2008. [cite web|title= Now it's Woolworths the credit card people|date=27 August 2007|accessdate=2007-09-06|publisher=Sydney Morning Herald|url=http://www.smh.com.au/news/national/now-its-woolworths-the-credit-card-people/2007/08/27/1188067034518.html] Woolworths is expected to offer these credit cardholders reward vouchers redeemable throughout its store network. [citation| publisher=Australian Financial Review |title=Retailers take on the banks…again| date=30 January 2008|pages=1, 61]

During the NSW trial, 50,000 cards were issued to customers. [citation|title=Woolies revs up discount petrol war|publisher=Australian Financial Review|date=11 February 2008|pages=1,15] In February 2008, Woolworths announced that following the NSW trial, Everyday Rewards would be rolled out nationally, beginning with South Australia and Northern Territory in mid-February, and to other states by the end of May 2008.

By early May 2008 the scheme had been extended to Victoria, Western Australia and Queensland and by the end of May 2008 to all mainland states. Woolworths stated in June 2008 that "well over a million" shoppers had taken a card and registered their details. [cite web|publisher=Sydney Morning Herald|date=5 June 2008|url=http://business.smh.com.au/fuels-gold-as-a-million-people-play-cards-with-woolworths-20080604-2lxs.html|title=Fuel's gold as a million people play cards with Woolworths|accessdate=2008-06-05] In July 2008, Woolworths stated that the program had exceeded expectations, with more than three million cards on issue. [cite web|publisher=Sydney Morning Herald|date=2008-07-16|accessdate=2008-07-17|title=Woolies reports sales rise|url=http://smallbusiness.smh.com.au/starting/finance/woolies-reports-sales-rise--911138328.html] In August 2008, Woolworths stated that there were 3.8 million cards "on issue", with 2.4 million cards "registered". [cite web|publisher=Woolworths Limited|title=Full Year Results Presentation|accessdate=2008-08-29|url=http://media.corporate-ir.net/media_files/irol/14/144044/asx/08presentation.pdf]

Criticism

Woolworths' Everyday Rewards has been criticised because the program is a way of locking in customers more tightly to the retailer. The information on the card and its use could be a potential privacy problem. [ [http://www.crikey.com.au/Business/20080226-Woolies-booming-standby-for-a-rate-rise.html Crikey - Woolies booming; stand by for a rate rise] ]

References

See also

* Loyalty card
* FlyBuys (Australia)

External links

* [https://www.everydayrewards.com.au/CLCS-Web/ Everyday Rewards]