News outlets are announcing that Loblaws has agreed to buy Shoppers Drug Mart for $12.4 billion (enough that Galen Weston is rearranging shares to pay for it). Does this mean the end of Optimum as we know it? Time will tell.
“This transformational partnership changes the retail landscape in Canada. With scale and capability, we will be able to accelerate our momentum and strengthen our position in the increasingly competitive marketplace,” said Loblaw executive chairman Galen Weston.
Loblaw said Shoppers would retain its name and brand, and would operate as a separate division of Loblaw.
Question: Does it mean the end of Optimum points?
Answer: Maybe. There are PC Plus points at Loblaws so they could probably roll the Optimum points into PC Plus.
Hope they have a point program as good as SDM if not Lawtons here I come for Airmiles! And yes roll the SDM points over would be great and I hope they keep the bonus weekends, etc.
I’ve just started to shop at SDM and take advantage of there amazing point program. If they take optimum program away they also lose my business all together. The points is the only reason I shop there 🙁
Yeah, if optimum points and bonus days stop, I will not shop at No Frills or Shoppers ever again
RIP Optimum points.
The end of Optimum as we know it. Would be nice if the competition bureau stepped in. Less competition means higher prices for everyone. This is the retail shocker of the year
SDM is only popular because of the points program. They take that away, and it’s basically RIP SDM! I would love to use my points at Loblaws though – free groceries would be nice, but I doubt that would happen since they would have to double prices on their food just to maintain the points program.
The current Optimum rules mention that program will expire in early 2016. Unless Shoppers has updated the rules, I assume that applies.
I’m sure RBC and Shoppers have some agreement about how long the co-branded account debit card will be in circulation as well.
Funny, Loblaws was in the news about its Nutshell healthy living stores.
http://www.thestar.com/business/2013/07/12/new_loblaw_pilot_will_take_on_whole_foods.html
Well I certainly hope we get a notice as to when the points would expire. Unlike other points programs who close without notice and leave customers cursing about lost points. I know I would be livid!
Meh. I rarely shop at either Loblaws or Shoppers because they both have insanely higher regular prices then anyone else in the industry. Eve when they have a sale their prices are only getting into the range of other stores. Other then the odd “Saturday only” sale items at shoppers drug mart I never go there.
Loblaws said they will continue to run it as a separate entity.
@PFC but just because it is a separate entity doesn’t mean the rules will stay the same. When companies buy other companies, they have every right to change rules
I suspect it will run with it’s own stuff for a while. (Including Life brand and Optimum). At some point it will make sense for Loblaws to treat Shoppers the same way that Sobeys treats Lawtons and replace Life brand with PC. When the PC brand enters, they’ll bring their own system with it. That’ll happen whenever the current contracts expire for Life/Optimum. They’ll just convert Optimum points into PC Points or give a deadline to redeem by. RBC cardholders will likely get moved into one of the Aeroplan/Air Miles feature cards when the contract expires, and Loblaws will try and entice them to use their Mastercard.
I hope they realize they will be destroying the potential profit from SDM if they get rid of Optimum!
The prices can be so ridiculous that is takes a coupon AND those points to make it a great deal 99% of the time! If that is lost, a lot of business will be out the window for them too….will be interesting to see how this all plays out! 🙂
Loblaws and Fortinos are expensive, but RCSS is awesome. No Frills is disgusting.
I don’t mind the takeover because i love my RCSS, but the PC points program is not as great as optimum.
i’m sad that optimum will go.
I’m another “meh” person. When Shoppers changed the Optimum plan (about 9ish years ago), I was done with them. Still poke my head into Shoppers about once a week; have yet to leave with any purchases. They’re too pricey. Does anyone know if Shoppers still has their tobacco arm or is that long gone? Have to agree with Gail Vax Oxlade: no net benefit to points programmes other than the spending of money on merchandise I normally wouldn’t purchase.
@Sue. I always thought SDM is ridiculously expensive, but once in a while I’m getting deals like nowhere else and this is when I leave with the purchase. Like the one time they send me their personalized BOGO coupon for Sensodyne and Sensodyne was on sale that week for 3.97. Go find someone who will beat it! And I only bought Sensodyne there once before that(on sale with “spend $10 save $3 coupon”)
As for the points, all the smart shoppers benefit from points programs if they don’t “spending of money on merchandise I normally wouldn’t purchase”.
Gail Vax Oxlade is awesome, but think who she works with – people who are surprised to hear that they will save a ton of money if they don’t go out so often… For them her statement about points is more than true.
I will be looking to spend my points with the most profit ASAP. It took me too long to accumulate them, to loose them. Though, it’s gonna be a challenge… small stores with close to zero clearance…
Please don’t lose optimum points for any reason. I’m quite happy with it. Being a senior, optimum points help me a lot.
Im pretty sure EVERY points program has similar wording where they have the right to revoke their points program at any time. RIP Optimum points! Every good thing comes to an end at some point! I better cash in my points now… especially since its a bonus redemption.
Oh darn. I really like SDM… hopefully nothing much changes, especially the points. I have YET earned the max number for points for max redemption!
my bro works for loblaw and the PC points program is much more rewarding than the Optimum points…excited for Loblaw!
PC Points is rewarding IF you have their financial cards, their new in-store program is not, it is targeted to random products and if you do not shop for a couple of weeks they remove all of your offers
This just in – Optimum points are save.
http://www.calgaryherald.com/business/Loblaw+Shoppers+Optimum+loyalty+program+stay+same/8662870/story.html
Of course it’s an uncertain world, this is just today, tomorrow can be something else.
The package says they will combine reward programs within 3 years. While 3 years is a long way off (and after the expiry date of the current Optimum program), it is untrue that Optimum is here to stay when they outwardly say they will combine them
This would be a perfect time for Rexall or Jean Coutu to come up with a similar rewards program like sdm and take all sdm customers before it’s too late!! I agree with everyone on the site, sdm is only good because of their clearance racks, sales and optimum points if these 3 things change I will change companies!! RIP SDM!! It was great while it lasted!! You will be missed!!
I don’t think that they would be foolish enough to get rid of the optimum points program. I agree with most people on here who say that it’s too expensive to shop there if not for the specials. I rarely buy anything there if it’s not some kind of ‘bonus’ day. I do like the PC points program. Been a member for years and have earned over $4,000 worth of free groceries, so if they somehow combined the programs, I think that would be great!