“Most people think about movies when they hear about a Scene card or a Scene+ card,” Lee Kotowicz, owner of Sobeys in Steinbach admits. “But it’s our new loyalty program, alongside Scotiabank and Cineplex.”
Sobeys in Steinbach has a new rewards system! Not a new name to frequent movie-goers, Scene and Scene+ cards have been around for quite some time. Kotowicz clarifies what makes this card more than just for movies.
“This will be used basically the same way that you used your Air Miles card. You can redeem it for groceries in our store. You can use it at restaurants. You can travel through Expedia. It doesn’t change too much for the customer, but it does create a better loyalty program. How? Because we are part owners, and so we can cater to the grocery customer a lot more than we could with the Air Miles program.”
Customers are invited to come in and sign up for their very own Scene+ card. Those who are already Scene members are a few steps ahead of the game.
“If you already have a Scene card, it will work here. If you want to change to Scene+, we can help you with that. Your number will stay the same. There’s obviously no cost or anything like that.”
In addition, cardholders can share their account with household members.
“When you sign up, you’ll get a physical card mailed to you in the next six to eight weeks,” Kotowicz says, attributing the delay to the high amount of new card requests. “But as soon as you register, you’ll also have a digital card on your phone. And you can share that digital card with other household members, allowing you to each earn points for that same account.”
Through conversation with many of their customers, Kotowicz and his staff have learned that most people use their Air Miles towards their grocery bill. Kotowicz describes this as “perfect”, as nothing is going to change for those customers.
“You’re going to earn Scene+ points here at our store. And you’re going to be able to use them to purchase groceries at our store.”
The largest difference between this new system and the old Air Miles reward program is that customers will now have only one account.
“When we had Air Miles, you had Dream Rewards, and you had Cash Miles. Now, it’s one account,” Kotowicz states. “You want to buy groceries? Perfect. You want to travel through Expedia? Book a flight or a hotel? Or a car rental? You can do that, and you don’t have to worry about having it in one account or the other. It’s all in one account.”
As a Scene+ member, customers will be privy to additional product offers. These will be emailed to the member weekly, with additional unadvertised discounts and deals throughout the store. 1000 Scene points equal $10, and for the discerning shopper, these points add up quick.
“There are a lot of instant savings to be had just by scanning the card in the store, and that’s not even counting that you’re earning points for future visits, or travel, or whatever you might want to use it for,” Kotowicz adds. “It really is a valuable card, and we’re hoping that customers appreciate it as much as we think they will.”
Stop by Sobeys in Steinbach to let their staff help you get started, sign up at www.sceneplus.ca, or find Scene+ in the App Store.