FlyBuys, the joint venture begun by Coles, Shell and NAB, is now fully owned by the supermarket giant, after an annoucement that they had bought out the 50% share of their last remaining partner, NAB, for an undisclosed sum. The loyalty program, which is the fifth largest in the world with over 10 million cardholders, annouced a record 400,000 new cardholders in 2009, in a demographic 12 years younger than the program’s average. At the time, Coles attributed the program’s growth to the... ...Read more »

FlyBuys, Australia’s largest coalition loyalty program, has reported a surge in new memberships in 2009, mostly among young Australians. Almost 400,000 new cardholders have joined, with an average age of 33 years (12 years younger than the FlyBuys average).  FlyBuys General Manager Phil Hawkins attributed the new interest to the economic downturn, as well as to campaigns such as the Coles’ Giant Gift Card Giveaway and new point-gathering opportunities with Curves and FlyBuys Box Office. “There’s... ...Read more »

Qantas, Australia’s largest airline today announced the launch of its loyalty program with Woolworths, beginning 22 June. Customers who participate in the Everyday Rewards program at Woolworths stores will now have the opportunity to earn Qantas Frequent Flyer points. The loyalty alliance, which was announced in December 2008, would give Qantas Frequent Flyer’s 5.6 million members another way to speed-up their accumulation of points. Of the Woolworths group, Woolworths Supermarket and... ...Read more »

New research carried out with the assistance of supermarket operators has shone a light on the changes the sector has made in the United States in response to a more financially stricken consumer. The 2009 Food Retailing Industry Speaks: Annual State of the Industry Review released by the Food Marketing Institute (FMI) found that supermarkets were one of the better performed industry groups last year with sales growth of 5.2% last year. This was, however, offset by a 5.7 per cent rate of inflation. “The... ...Read more »

With consumer loyalty now, arguably, more important than ever before, Australia’s largest supermarket operator has teamed with the Australia’s largest airline to create a new loyalty alliance. Woolworths and Qantas today announced an exclusive Heads of Agreement to create a loyalty alliance, which would begin in the middle of next year. The new relationship will allow Woolworths customers who participate in the Everyday Rewards program to earn Qantas Frequent Flyer points when they shop... ...Read more »