Three years following the acquisition of the pharmacy chain, Loblaws Companies Ltd. is merging its PC Plus loyalty points program with Shoppers Drug Mart’s Optimum program.
The new points program is called PC Optimum and points can be accrued and redeemed at all 2,500 Loblaws-affiliated stores (and their respective websites) including:
- Real Canadian Superstore
- Atlantic Superstore
- City Market
- No Frills
- Independent
- Zehrs
- Loblaws
- Shoppers Drug Mart
- Shoppers Home Health Care
Additionally, points can be earned and spent online at JoeFresh.com and BeautyBoutique.ca
The new program is to take effect on Feb. 1, 2018. Between the PC Plus and Shoppers Optimum programs, all 19 million members will automatically be transferred over to the PC Optimum program, and will be able to use a single card or app to earn points. At launch, PC Optimum cards will be available at participating Loblaws grocery stores, where you can swap your current card for a PC Optimum card at checkout. Or you can download the new PC Optimum app and link your PC Plus or Shoppers Optimum card to consolidate them in a new PC Optimum account.
Account balances will be transferred over at equal value, so, for example, if a member has $50 worth of Optimum points, they will receive $50 worth of PC Optimum points as well.
Earning and redeeming points
Like PC Plus members, PC Optimum members will earn varying amounts of points on certain qualifying items at all Loblaws-affiliated stores.
Consumers will also earn 50% more PC Optimum points for shopping at Shopper Drug Mart to account for the higher number of points needed for redemption of items at that store.
Under the current Optimum program, collectors earn 10 points for every $1 spent, but under the PC Optimum program, they will earn 15 points per $1 spent at Shoppers Drug Mart.
PC Financial® MasterCard® holders are also eligible to earn PC Optimum points in place of PC Plus points.
The point redemption system will be similar to that of the PC Plus program – 1,000 points is equivalent to $1, but now you can start redeeming points for items once you’ve achieved 10,000 points.
In Quebec, where Shoppers Drug Mart operates under the Pharmaprix name, the Pharmaprix Optimum program ended on Jan. 31, 2018. Members will have until May 2, 2018, to redeem their points or convert them at equal value to the new program.
The loyalty point program merger comes months after Loblaw’s PC Financial and CIBC announced they were ending their 20-year partnership. Back in November, CIBC absorbed all of the PC Financial’s day-to-day banking product accounts (chequing and savings accounts, loans, mortgages, etc.) and rebranded under the name Simplii Financial. Simplii Financial products can’t earn PC points.
On the other hand, no changes were made to the PC Financial® MasterCard® products as they are solely owned by PC Bank.
This post has been updated.
