Canadian Tire Enhances Iconic Loyalty Program

Canadian Tire’s iconic loyalty program−My Canadian Tire ‘Money’−is about to go digital.

The program will launch in Nova Scotia on Oct. 10 and nationally on Oct. 28, 2014, and will complement paper Canadian Tire ‘Money’, which will remain in circulation. Canadian Tire money is known for its fictional Scottish character known as Sandy McTire.

Shawn Stewart, Associate Vice-President, Loyalty, Canadian Tire explained to Loyalty360 the factors that prompted the expansion of the program.

“Meeting customer needs has always been at the heart of our innovation strategy and ensures that everything we do has a positive end benefit for our customers,” Stewart said. “Our customers told us that they wanted a more convenient, value-driven program that rewards them for their loyalty and allows them to get more from shopping at Canadian Tire. With this understanding, we created My Canadian Tire ‘Money,’ combining the best attributes of our iconic paper Canadian Tire ‘Money’ with the benefits of a digital rewards program, including enhanced flexibility and the ability to collect Canadian Tire ‘Money’ easier.  The program gives our customers the power of choice, as they can now choose to go digital, or continue collecting and redeeming our paper ‘Money,’ which will remain in circulation.”

Customer feedback played a key role.

“In 2012, we launched a pilot program in Nova Scotia titled, ‘Canadian Tire ‘Money’ Advantage.’ The program was always designed as a pilot and a way to gather key learnings and customer feedback prior to rolling-out our program nationally. Feedback we received from our Nova Scotia customers confirmed the need to maintain one of the most beloved aspects of shopping at Canadian Tire – Canadian Tire ‘Money’. So we kept the best aspects of our existing loyalty program, combining them with digital enhancements that make it easier to collect and redeem. This thoughtful approach to innovation is how we’ve maintained our position as Canada’s Store for more than 90 years and exemplifies our ongoing test and learn culture.”

 Meeting customer needs is an ongoing challenge, Stewart said.

“It’s always a challenge to break through the noise and clutter in our increasingly saturated market,” he said. “Luckily, for one of the nation’s oldest retailers, Canadian Tire isn’t far from the minds of most Canadians. That said, we know that loyalty programs are something Canadians are passionate about, so as we push to market with the My Canadian Tire ‘Money’ program, we are firmly positioned to communicate the power of choice the program delivers to customers, as well as the many added benefits and rewards that can be obtained by enrolling. For 90 years we’ve been providing Canadians with what they need for life in Canada, and now we’re providing them with a loyalty program that combines the ease and convenience of digital with the benefits customers know and love.”

For Canadian Tire, customer loyalty has always been about rewarding customers for choosing Canadian Tire, Stewart said.

“As it evolves however, our program will help us get to know our customers even better than we do today by using data to drive engagement through relevancy,” he explained. “As we learn more about them, we’ll increasingly personalize the overall shopping experience–everything from customized rewards to the digital flyer and our website. Whereas loyalty may have once been just about the rewards, it’s now very much a tool to drive business, customer retention and acquisition across all of our channels.”

The aim of the new program is to provide members an easier way to collect and redeem Canadian Tire ‘Money’. The original program launched in 1958 and consists of coupons, issued by the company, which resemble real currency and can be used as legal tender in Canadian Tire stores.

My Canadian Tire ‘Money’ combines the best attributes of Canadian Tire’s paper ‘Money’ with the benefits of a digital rewards program, making it easier and faster for customers to collect and redeem. Members can collect e-Canadian Tire ‘Money’ on qualifying purchases at Canadian Tire stores, at canadiantire.ca, and at participating Canadian Tire gas bar locations. e-Canadian Tire ‘Money’ can also be redeemed for merchandise and gift cards or donated to Canadian Tire’s Jumpstart charity. Customers can also collect and redeem e-Canadian Tire ‘Money’ on automotive services, which is a benefit to the updated program.

To fully take advantage of the program’s benefits and features, customers are being encouraged to download Canadian Tire’s enhanced Mobile App.  The updated version, available for download at launch, allows users to collect, redeem and manage their e-Canadian Tire ‘Money’, view bonus offers, review  transactions,  and return products in-store without presenting a receipt.

To join the program, customers can register through the Canadian Tire Mobile App, at canadiantire.ca with a card available in-store, or by applying for the Options MasterCard. Existing Canadian Tire Options MasterCard cardholders and participants in the Canadian Tire ‘Money’ Advantage loyalty program in Nova Scotia will automatically have their loyalty program changed to My Canadian Tire ‘Money’. 

The digital loyalty program allows Canadian Tire to send customers tailored deals and specials based on their shopping patterns. The bills are available in denominations of 5, 10, 25, 50, $1 and $2 and allow consumers to redeem toward eligible purchases. There has been more than $1-billion of Canadian Tire money in circulation since its inception.

Through its loyalty programs, Canadian Tire awards more than $100 million dollars to customers every year. Introduced in 1995, there are now 2.4 million Canadian Tire Options MasterCard cardholders in Canada.

Canadian Tire Corp. Ltd. will soon have a new CEO. President Michael Medline will replace Stephen Wetmore as CEO on Dec. 1.

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