Customers' fury after Sainsbury's bosses announce by email they are to cut the value of their loyalty card points by HALF 

  • Next year shoppers will only get one point per pound instead of two
  • It has also scrapped points for customers who bring their own bags
  • Furious shoppers say 'utterly bonkers' decision will see them go elsewhere
  • Sainsbury's says points reduction will mitigated with regular 'bonus events'

By Martin Robinson for MailOnline

Published: | Updated:

Sainsbury's customers today pledged to shop elsewhere after it halved the value of its Nectar points.

Britain's third biggest supermarket chain says customers will only receive one loyalty point for every pound spent - rather than two as it is now - from next year.

Bosses have also scrapped its green incentive - meaning the millions who have a Nectar card will no longer get a point when they bring their own carrier bag.

They say shoppers will still get similar amounts of Nectar rewards because of regular 'bonus events'. 

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Anger: Sainsbury's customers are upset after they halved the value of its popular Nectar points

Anger: Sainsbury's customers are upset after they halved the value of its popular Nectar points

This month Sainsbury's suffered a slump in quarterly sales, which pushed the retailer's shares to a six-year low.

Now it faces a further backlash from customers angry it has reduced Nectar points from April 11, 2015.

Chris Whitehead wrote on Twitter: 'Hey @sainsburys if I enter into a relationship with an agreed expectation of loyalty, then you change it, expect divorce. Hi @Ocado £Nectar'

Another said: 'Shocking that @sainsburys is cutting the value of nectar points in half! They're already hard enough to accumulate.'

Bosses have also scrapped points for customers who reuse plastic bags - but say they will offer promotions including 5p off every litre of fuel for a month.

Another promotion will see shoppers win more points by swiping their card in store.

Anna McNally said: 'So @sainsburys will no longer be giving me nectar points for reusing my bags but will be giving out extra points on fuel. Sounds very green.'

And Emma Gibbs said: 'Disappointing that @sainsburys has dropped Nectar points for those reusing carrier bags. Should be incentivising people to £recycle.'

Millions of people are members of the Nectar card scheme, which was launched in 2002.

Popular: Millions of Britons haver a Nectar card in their wallet or purse

Popular: Millions of Britons haver a Nectar card in their wallet or purse

Customers currently enjoy a number of perks, including double Nectar points on all Sainsbury’s shopping – online and in store – and two Nectar points per £1 spent on Sainsbury's fuel - plus one point per litre when the customer also swipes their Nectar.

A spokesman for Sainsbury's said: 'We are changing the way customers earn Nectar points and launching more high-value bonus events, like Swipe to Win, 10xpoints on fuel and adding more categories to our Christmas 'Double Up' event so that customers can make their points go even further.'

It claims that the extra point usually given to customers will be handed back through various initiatives. 

The giant faced further embarrassment last month after a poster urging staff to encourage customers to spend an additional 50p in the supermarket was accidentally placed on the front window of a store.

Sainsbury's later confirmed that the poster was 'intended for colleague areas in the store' in Stratford, east London.

On display: The sign in the window of a Sainsbury's store in Stratford, east London, urged staff to try to make shoppers 'spend an additional 50p during each shopping trip'. This photo was taken by passer-by Chris Dodd

On display: The sign in the window of a Sainsbury's store in Stratford, east London, urged staff to try to make shoppers 'spend an additional 50p during each shopping trip'. This photo was taken by passer-by Chris Dodd

 

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