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Fresh & Easy to Test Loyalty Card

EL SEGUNDO, Calif. — Fresh & Easy Neighborhood Market said Monday it will introduce a loyalty card program later this year.

EL SEGUNDO, Calif. — Fresh & Easy Neighborhood Market said Monday it will introduce a loyalty card program later this year.

The card — similar to Tesco's Clubcard — will be tested in seven stores in the Bakersfield area in the fall and, if successful, will reportedly be expanded chainwide in March. Like Clubcard, it will use a digital points-based program that enables customers to earn one point for every dollar they spend at Fresh & Easy — points that can be exchanged for cash-back rewards, the company explained.

Cardholders will also receive personalized emails biweekly with updates on points earned and targeted bonus point coupons, the company added.

The program will be called Friends of Fresh & Easy — the name of an email program introduced in December 2008 that gives loyal customers exclusive news and information about the company, along with special coupons and offers. Fresh & Easy said that program has 360,000 "friends."

According to Tim Mason, president and chief executive officer, "We wanted to create a program designed to thank our customers for being our friends. The program will be digital so points can be online and communication to customers can be sent via email. This model for Clubcard will work well for our U.S. customers."

Mason said that, unlike most U.S.-based loyalty card programs, the "friends" program will not charge higher prices to customers who do not use the cards, noting that prices will be the same for all customers, although "friends" will get get the special offers.

TAGS: Marketing