Woolworths reviewing partnership with Qantas Frequent Flyer.

[Deleted member]

I don't bother with fuel discounts. I added it up one year and it didn't really amount to much. I have nearly 80,000 fly buys points, and haven't been much of a supporter for a few years (since the EDR /QFF alliance) but always preferred (our local) Coles over Woollies. So I've joined the Etihad FF scheme and linked it to my fly buys. The only loss in my move will be the grandchildren won't get the animal cards from us. The other grandparents will have to step up. So watching with interest the feed back from others on this new Coles alliance.

 

[trippin_the_rift]

Anyone else think that Woolworths has a death wish?

New type of WISH card?

 

[Captain Halliday]

Golden Circle Cordial 2 litre $4.00 $1.50 37.5%

This is an excellent example. This product was $2.5 on sale at Coles last week. And with my bonus coupon I still got 4 FB points when I bought it.

 

[Deleted member]

Flybuys is a very simple program with very poor value.

One observation I have had over the years with both Everyday Rewards and Flybuys is the number of people scanning their cards. It is not that high.

I don't see people leaving Woolworths to head over to Coles because Flybuys now have Etihad as a partner. In fact a lot of people are saying Coles is more expensive than Woolworths for their weekly shop. Not sure why they are perservering with Flybuys?

And then again I could be totally wrong and this partnership the next best thing since sliced cheese. Or is that sliced bread?

I'm leaving. And have already removed EDR card from wallet.

 

[Deleted member]

I've spent ~ $1200 at Woolies in the past 12 months, but with one or two exceptions all transactions were under $30. Obviously $1200 is not that much compared with some people, but I haven't swiped my card once in that time simply because there's no benefit to me. I don't have a car, don't need petrol discount, don't want "targeted offers", and unless I'm earning points I don't see why I should give them free marketing data.

That's why it's fun to swap cards with your grandma.

 

[Deleted member]

I was thinking about this, and I wonder what it does for the QFFF brand?

QFFF is a premium product - premium airline, premium partners, premium products. Companies keen to offer QFFF points because they see them as a draw card and it benefits the image of both companies.

Now a major retailer has said 'hang on, maybe this is not such a great partnership'. I think that has to have some impact?

So maybe a link up with DJ's say? I know that would bring me into their store again

 

[Deleted member]

Like everyone else, I'm looking for a potential alternative should the current arrangement cease.

The rumoured Coles/Etihad/Virgin arrangement which offers status credits as well as points is looking very attractive.

I have accrued many qantas points thru EDR but, as I fly little , my status level of qantas cardboard offers me zilch in terms of priority for seating , award availability etc.

You just need to get out more (lol).

 

[Cool Cat Phil]

So maybe a link up with DJ's say? I know that would bring me into their store again

3 QFF points can already be earnt Instore at DJ's utilising the DJ's Amex Platinum card and a further 5 QFF points earnt for online spend via the Qantas store.
I'm not too sure if DJ's would extend the ability to earn QFF points any further.

 

[prozac]

I am going to miss the occasional 1,000 pts for a box of $69 wine from Cellarmasters...

 

[JohnK]

Anyone else think that Woolworths has a death wish?

I am struggling to understand who dreamt up this rubbish and how it was approved to replace the current loyalty scheme.

 

[Deleted member]

I don't shop at Woolies that much, but when I do I am astounded by the number of member only prices, it makes them look expensive to me (as I don't bother carrying my Everyday Rewards card because of the $30 start point, so when I go in - I don't get the good price, so I shop there less and less).

Given I do 90% of my shop in the fresh food / meat and deli section. I almost never get the "special deals" on offer. Items that are not fresh food which I buy are : cleaning products, toothpaste etc, crackers ( for my cheese) the occasional & rare chocolate purchase and bread. I find the focus on processed foods a worrying trend. If reward programs in supermarkets ceased tomorrow , I should probably find myself shopping at green grocers and specialist butchers. For everything else there's "online".

 

[grussellt]

I would have thought the new "Rewards scheme" would have started with a bang to engender interest from loyal Woolworths shoppers. The offers this week don't even constitute a whimper. On the other hand Coles offer of spend 3x$50 and get back $25 (5000 Flybuys) has far more appeal. Woolworths appears to be determined to tell its loyal customers what to buy and assist its own cash flow by reserving the rewards for a date which is hard to determine. Let's hope the continuing discussions with Qantas bear some fruit (not reflecting an orange sticker in the fruit and veg department).

 

[prozac]

Given I do 90% of my shop in the fresh food / meat and deli section. ...

I never buy fresh anything from the supermarkets. Pretty soon they will have driven all the butchers, bakers and grocers out of business and you will no longer have any choice about where you shop. We need to ensure that they never do that.

 

[smit0847]

I am struggling to understand who dreamt up this rubbish and how it was approved to replace the current loyalty scheme.

Most Australians dont understand the potential value of a FF point, especially when they see those moronic ACA 'exposes' about how 'youd have to spend $20,000 just to get a free flight to sydney when you can just buy a jetstar flight for $50'.

Im guessing they would prefer an occasional but regular discount rather than saving points for something that takes forever to earn.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Most Australians dont understand the potential value of a FF point, especially when they see those moronic ACA 'exposes' about how 'youd have to spend $20,000 just to get a free flight to sydney when you can just buy a jetstar flight for $50'.

Im guessing they would prefer an occasional but regular discount rather than saving points for something that takes forever to earn.

Well... isn't that about right? Spend 20 grand to get a free ticket to Sydney, and still have to pay the taxes fees and Qantas imposed charges. And you can get a JQ ticket for $100 return or whatever.

I think ACA and the like to do a good job to manage expectations.

 

[Princess Fiona]

Well... isn't that about right? Spend 20 grand to get a free ticket to Sydney, and still have to pay the taxes fees and Qantas imposed charges. And you can get a JQ ticket for $100 return or whatever.

I think ACA and the like to do a good job to manage expectations.

Agree. The less people who think FF points are a good thing, the better IMO

 

[blackcat20]

If you have a look at the upcoming WW Catalogue the items they have listed as earning WW dollars are very uninspiring. Even though they would be a small sample, they would want to have a lot more enticing offers than those in store for me to continue shopping at WW.

We didn't even get a Woolies catalogue in the letter box this week, only a Coles one....

 

[Himeno]

Anyone else think that Woolworths has a death wish?

I don't think Woolworths has a death wish. The 100,000 staff members would like to keep their jobs...
I think a few select people working out of head office at Norwest (Bella Vista, NW Sydney) are idiots, don't think things through and refuse to listen to anyone or anything that doesn't agree with their narrow-mindedness. Unfortunately those select people are those with key positions of power within the business.

 

[anat0l]

Anyone else think that Woolworths has a death wish?

First or second biggest supermarket retailer in the country?

It might be a cut to one's self, not that I'd think the board would wish for that. I don't think Woolworths will do an Ansett, though. They'd be stupid to press ahead with this if they find out that it leads to even larger losses. And surely even though their situation is hardly enviable, they can't be exactly living out of the sock drawer, especially after they deal with the Master disaster.

Imagine WW in the toilet. Maybe Coles scoops up 50% of the doomed WW chain stores. Maybe they divide up the rest of the company. But either way, Coles will have the enviable position of having a dominating control of the supermarket sector. I'm sure Choice and the consumer advocacy groups will be very happy to roll out the red carpet to their new competition-free overlords.

The 100,000 staff members would like to keep their jobs...

I'm sure they would, but for all intents and purposes, they are powerless to do much about it if the WW board thinks that they know better to appease their shareholders.

Government won't help.

Unless many of those employees think about jumping ship to start a new supermarket cooperative with a better premise, a better supermarket business philosophy and SOP, and a better rewards programme.

Agree. The less people who think FF points are a good thing, the better IMO

That principle of keeping the uneducated masses away has been ill exploited by the company to cook the goose which many of us gorged upon.

The irony is the number of people you'd reckon had no idea of the benefits and now are wailing that it's going away.

 

[Himeno]

The irony is the number of people you'd reckon had no idea of the benefits and now are wailing that it's going away.

Maybe because many of these people were those saving up their points for something, were not surveyed about the program and "appeared" not to be using the program based on the narrow limited data set Woolworths looked at.