Walgreens testing customer loyalty cards this Spring

[longwood]

Saw this on a blog and thought I'd post the link to the article here. According to a Reuters article from 2/9/10, Walgreens will begin testing different customer loyalty strategies this Spring in different test markets. All the current plans involve the use of customer loyalty cards like the CVS Extracare card.

Article is posted here: Exclusive: Walgreen CEO confident despite consumer angst | Reuters

Information about the test programs is almost at the bottom of the article.

If anyone hears about this coming to your area, please let us know.

[Mikki 316]

I missed this part:
Thank you, couponers, for all that discretionary spending! You helped us stay afloat for the last Quarter of 2009!

Did anyone see that in the article??

[PMFan]

the article doesn't say but i'm assuming they will still offer RR and those RR will be perhaps be tracked by/tied to your card?

if walgreens follows CVS's lead with a loyalty card, they should also consider incorporating some or all of CVS' other customer-focused policies to attract more business...

- accept expired RR (cvs honors exp EB, CRT, kiosk, and $/$)
- accept competitor coupons
- allowed to use RR on same product family with a new RR promotion
- offer $/$ via email or other promotion more frequently
- offer rainchecks that will generate RR (my wags doesn't know or refuses to do this - i'm SOL if they are OOS)

[longwood]

if walgreens follows CVS's lead with a loyalty card, they should also consider incorporating some or all of CVS' other customer-focused policies to attract more business...
- accept expired RR (cvs honors exp EB, CRT, kiosk, and $/$)
- accept competitor coupons

You must have one awesome CVS near you. I don't think either of the ones near me will do either of those.

- offer rainchecks that will generate RR (my wags doesn't know or refuses to do this - i'm SOL if they are OOS)

Yeah, my WAGs doesn't have a clue there either

One thing to think about though. If they follow a CVS like program, that means limits on how many FARR items we can get. :sad:

[warcraftbaby]

Yay! I would love a card program. I don't have access to a CVS but love what I've read about them; anything that makes Wags more like CVS will be great in my book.

[Mikki 316]

That would definitely cut down on shelf clearing. But, where there's a will, there's a way. I still read on other sites/blogs about people buying an incredible amount of products from CVS using their cards. So, who knows. I wish they'd just get a consistent policy across the board and not worry about fixing something that ain't broke. LOL.

[janet30176]

i personally dont want wags to be like cvs-that will put an end to stockpiling on farr items and limit the money maker items.I very seldom shop cvs for this very reason

[Mikki 316]

i personally dont want wags to be like cvs-that will put an end to stockpiling on farr items and limit the money maker items.

I have to agree with you on that, Janet. I'd hate to see the store loyalty card for this very reason.

[clippyclippy]

I would rather be able to roll RR and have limits on the # you can buy than to have the current system of no rolling.
And rainchecks....

[Lmnde]

I would rather be able to roll RR and have limits on the # you can buy than to have the current system of no rolling.

I agree - never mind that CVS is hardly having anything worth going in for lately...