Kingfisher plans to launch in-store loyalty card scheme

Kingfisher is understood to be planning the launch of a reward card loyalty scheme, covering all its retail brands, later this year.

The retail giant, which owns DIY chain B&Q, Woolworths, cosmetics and toiletries retailer Superdrug and electrical store Comet, is planning to launch its own version of Argos Premier Points across its stores.

Dubbed the Kingfisher Card internally, the loyalty scheme does not include any credit function. It will not include any third party companies, but will be run by Kingfisher itself.

Kingfisher reported a 25 per cent rise in pre-tax profits for 1996. Comet’s profits rose by six times to 20.2m, B&Q’s by 75 per cent to 97.2m and Woolworths’ by 29 per cent to 84m.

It is not known how the new scheme will affect B&Q’s two year relationship with the Tesco

Clubcard loyalty scheme. B&Q has attributed recent sales growth to its link with the Tesco loyalty programme.

A recent report by Research Services Limited revealed that Argos Premier Points card was one of the least used of the loyalty scheme cards, with only 38 per cent of its holders using the card every visit (MW March 21).

Premier Points has been criticised for not capturing data on users, which has resulted in its being dubbed an electronic version of Green Shield Stamps.

The card will be changed into a smartcard later this year (MW March 14). Argos, BP and Somerfield are members of the scheme.