Commenting on the findings, Liz Edwards, editor-in-chief at finder.com, said

“With the cost of living crisis taking its toll on consumers, there’s now more pressure than ever for supermarkets to give back to their customers wherever they can, and loyalty schemes have become crucial for many families to help them pay for their weekly shop.

“However, our research shows that customers would have to spend a huge amount of money to earn enough points to buy even a small item.

“Our survey also revealed that 55% of loyalty card holders signed up to earn points that they could put towards vouchers for restaurants, travel, hotels or accommodation. However Tesco recently announced that these points will now only be worth 2x the Clubcard voucher value, instead of 3x as they used to be. This is another blow to customers who have come to rely on these vouchers over the years.

“UK supermarkets are clearly shifting the focus of their loyalty schemes towards discounted prices over earning points. Our research found that regular prices are up to 45% higher at Sainsbury’s than Nectar prices, and 36% higher on average at Tesco without a Clubcard. We also found that some non-loyalty prices were far higher at certain supermarkets than the regular price at others. For example, a 200g jar of instant coffee was on offer for £6 with Nectar, but cost £8.10 without a loyalty card. Yet at Tesco the regular price of this item was £6 without any discount applied. This could therefore be seen as a penalty for those who don’t have a Nectar card, and begs the question: can consumers afford to shop in the UK without loyalty cards? By signing up to these schemes you’re granting these supermarkets access to a wealth of information about your lifestyle and shopping habits, and this might not be something that everyone feels comfortable doing.

“If you’re looking to make your money go further when grocery shopping, it’s worth noting that some current account cashback schemes are potentially more competitive than supermarket loyalty cards. For example, with Chase, customers can earn 1% cashback on the first £1,500 spent per month for the first year after signing up, so if you’re uncomfortable signing up to a supermarket loyalty programme this could be a great second option. Alternatively, you could use both to double-up on your rewards!”

To see the research in full visit: https://www.finder.com/uk/best-supermarket-loyalty-schemes

Methodology:

Finder commissioned Censuswide on 06 June 2023 to carry out a nationally representative survey of adults aged 18+. A total of 2,000 people were questioned throughout Great Britain, with representative quotas for gender, age and region

Prices for the ‘typical basket of goods’ were found on the 7th June, and any temporary discounts were ignored for the purpose of this study to reflect the item’s standard pricing at each store. The cost of an average weekly grocery shop (£62.20) was obtained from ONS and correct as of 7th June.

It’s worth noting that Co-op points can only be earned on own-brand items, and at Morrisons points can only be earned on select items at that time. Points at Tesco and Sainsbury’s can be earned on almost every product in store, and are therefore easier to earn.