Canadian pocketbooks are filled to bursting with cards.
There are myriad retail programs, the ubiquitous Air Miles – even our credit cards entail rewards programs. Since women are the power shoppers in most families, we asked the folks at Corus’s Her Report to help us out with some fresh intel on Canada’s love affair with loyalty.
The women’s online panel gathered the thoughts of 769 women across English Canada, ranging from 18 to 70, and found that of the blind study panelists, 98% are a member of at least one of the reward programs tested.
They cited saving money as the primary benefit of joining a rewards program, and that contests and exclusive offers are much less important. They also stressed that programs must be convenient if you want them to join, and even though they signed up to save money, they won’t go out of their way to shop with you.
The most popular program enrolment categories are those shopped most frequently, which for most are drug and grocery stores. Air Miles emerged as the program with the most members and a panelist fave, however, they often use the rewards points for items beyond travel.
One note of caution: panelists are frustrated when they have to join a rewards program just to get prices listed on the shelf. You know who you are.

Six-minute interviews conducted June 27 to July 8, 2010.
Demo breakdown: 145 (18 – 34); 382 (35 -54); 218 (55+).
All research courtesy of W Her Report online panel.