Filco says new Filcard loyalty scheme is boosting basket spend

Filco Supermarkets has launched a loyalty card and aims to push 50% of sales through it by the end of the summer.

‘Filcard’ was rolled out across all nine Filco stores earlier this year, and the South Wales-based independent retailer now has 2,000 shoppers signed up, accounting for over 10% of its customer base.

MD Matthew Hunt told The Grocer it brought shoppers “endless benefits”, including a points reward scheme, with bonuses such as double points on weekends or paydays, as well as exclusive pricing, such as 49p off Kellogg’s Crunchy Nut cereal.

It also allows for any change left over from a cash transaction to be deposited on to the card instead of handed back, creating a saving scheme, and offers rewards for repeat purchases such as every fifth coffee free.

It can also group customers together to create communal benefits, allowing the likes of of footfall clubs to band their points together to help fund a Christmas party.

“The success of Tesco’s Clubcard was the inspiration and heading into the difficult economic period we knew we had to offer our customers more reasons to stay with us, meeting our longer-term goal of retaining as much of the increased trading performance we achieved through the Covid periods,” said Hunt.

In a move to boost Filcard sales and members, the Nisa-supplied retailer is marketing the scheme via instore PoS and social media, and looking to decorate company vehicles with graphics.

It has also organised an event for the end of the month branded Filcard Fest, which will run as part of the local food festival. It is set to include activations through bannering and flags and offer special food and drink prices for Filcard members.

It has already found the scheme boosts basket spend, by 9% compared with non-card holders. Last week, Filcard sales accounted for 13% of total sales, according to the retailer.

Targeted marketing

“What we have also seen is that suppliers love the idea of targeted marketing through the opportunity to fund a promotion directly to the customers,” added Hunt. “We already have a number of them committed to funding Filcard special offers, which also helps make us as competitive as possible – literally everyone wins.”

Filcard has been delivered using the Azpiral loyalty platform – an app that can be rebranded with a business’ chosen colours and style to fit its own loyalty programme – via an an integration with Henderson’s EdgePOS system. Filco upgraded its EPoS to Henderson’s system in January.

Filco Supermarkets joins fellow Nisa retailer Tout’s in running a loyalty scheme offering points and discounts. Jempson’s, which is currently switching from Nisa to Together with Morrisons, also operates a scheme, called Savaclub.