When Shaw’s Supermarket chain decided to drop its familiar loyalty store shopping cards in late June in its 169 stores in New England, it was unclear how its customer base would respond. In just two weeks since the Card-Free savings began at Shaw’s New England stores, the customer response was immediate and very positive, according to Shaw’s spokesperson Steven Sylven.
“The first day of Card-Free savings was June 28 and the feedback from customers has been overwhelmingly positive,” Sylven told Loyalty 360.
Shaw’s dropped its loyalty store cards as it revamps its strategy and invests in its 169 stores in New England. The Shaw’s chain was recently acquired by a group of investors led by Cerberus Capital Management LP, and Sylven said the company wanted to offer every customer the same price without needing a loyalty card.
Sylven said the Shaw’s Rewards card was introduced in 2000.
“Simply put, we wanted to offer the same price to all customers without a card,” Sylven said. “We felt it was in our customers’ best interests to eliminate the card and offer the same best price to everyone.”
When asked if he thinks the change would make a long-term positive impact on its customer base, Sylven replied: “Absolutely.”
Sylven said the decision to drop the loyalty card wasn’t made lightly.
“We also made a significant investment in pricing across the store,” he explained. “These lower prices are not a short-term promotion, or a sales price that will change with the next circular release. These are lower prices that customers can expect from us every time they visit.”
Sylven said Shaw’s new “You’re in for Something Fresh” marketing campaign showcases the recent changes to better serve customer needs.
“Basically, we’ve reinvigorated our brand and invested significantly in our business, and June 28 was our invitation to everyone in the region to come and check out Shaw’s and Star Market,” Sylven said. “So far, we are pleased with how the changes have been received.”