Supermarket loyalty cards are not working according to results of a Mori poll commissioned by Black Sun consultancy. The survey, published this week, found more than half of British adults owned loyalty cards. But more than two thirds of them said the cards did not determine where they shopped. And less than half felt that having a loyalty card made them more likely to shop at a particular store. Black Sun consultant David Christofferson explained his views on loyalty cards: "There has been growing inertia to what I would see as a thinly disguised discount scheme. "If you focus on price, you encourage people to shop around. "And if all you're offering is points, the customer has got to spend a lot of money to get a return." He said inspiring loyalty was about encouraging reciprocal relationships between stores and customers. Christofferson said retailers needed to engage shoppers by requiring something of them, in terms of information, custom and dialogue. He also suggested stores target loyal customers with community based activities tailored to individual interests. However a Tesco spokesman insisted: "Our loyalty card scheme is going from strength to strength. He added: "We've never seen our Clubcard as the only thing encouraging customer loyalty ­ what makes a customer loyal are things like low prices and great customer service." And a Co-op spokeswoman said its Dividend Card scheme ­ which offers its customers a twice-yearly cash return ­ "has been proven to contribute to the bottom line". She also said the card involved the store with the local community by enabling customers to contribute to deserving local causes. A spokeswoman for Asda said the multiple would continue to steer clear of loyalty cards: "We've always stuck to every day low prices. We're not interested in giving false money away." {{NEWS }}