Tesco plans Clubcard boost after months of cutbacks

Tesco is planning a fresh revamp of its Clubcard loyalty scheme, amid reports that it wants to offer greater incentives to customers to sign up to its bank and mobile phone services by linking purchases to the Tesco Pay+ app.
According to The Sunday Times, the retail giant is planning to launch Amazon Prime-style benefits, although exactly what that would entail is open to debate.
However, it is the first sign that Tesco is willing to plough more resources into the loyalty programme, having been criticised for slashing the value of rewards as well as dumping a number of popular Clubcard Reward Partners over the past 12 months.
In January last year, Tesco was forced to put back a Clubcard rewards overhaul following a customer revolt, triggered by criticism that the retailer had not given loyalty scheme members prior warning of the changes which saw the majority of partners offer only three times the value of vouchers instead of four.
Initially, Tesco said the move was designed “to make things easier” but was forced to delay the changes for nearly six months.
Meanwhile, it faced further criticism after axing nearly 60 brands from its partner programme, with at least two of the most popular deals – for train ticket site RedSpottedHanky and Europcar – being scrapped.
Tesco will publish its full year results this week, with analysts predicting profits will rise 28% to £2.1bn due in part to the growth of the wholesaler Booker, which it acquired last year for £4bn.