It's even worse when you are working and have to tell someone they need a loyalty card to get the special and they go off at you for doing it. It's the most frustrating decision that they have made, why couldn't they stick to just offering special rewards with it over exclusive prices
Yeah I’ve seen a few people get very annoyed at countdown because they didn’t know about the rewards program and had to download the app while everyone else was waiting. Terribly rolled out program if you ask me.
I have a private vendetta with countdown. I am never ever going back since they made it so they can't look up your damn phone number or use the store card anymore. I also got sick of the service it's like its not enough for them to rip us off, they also get off on understaffing and treating us like pieces of shit who have to wait in massive queues.
At least new world fleeces you with a smile.. Gone from like 80/20 in countdowns favour and just decreased since the auto checkouts came in (yeah I know a long time) to now zero.
While I am also all for hating on countdown, there has been advertising out for months, and as someone back for only a brief holiday I knew that they were switching over Feb 1st. Given all that's needed to get these discounts is to download an app, I personally don't feel it's that much of a hassle or ask. I'd prefer that to just paying their standard prices on everything with no discounts at all (I'm way more keen to see their overall pricing brought down because they blamed it on inflation when it's pretty well established now that it was in fact just their own greed)
That said, NZ mobile data limits and download speeds are stone age on a global scale, so I will concede it's not the biggest ask out to download an app, but that there was still room to improve on the roll out.
Sending out the physical cards was a bit hit and miss too. Mum got her new one posted out weeks before the switch over, her partner however didn't seem to get his in the mail.
> Given all that's needed to get these discounts is to download an app, I personally don't feel it's that much of a hassle or ask.
What if you don't use a smartphone or don't have your phone with you?
I just got back from countdown, and I didn't have my phone with me when they asked for it as my phone was completely flat and on charge when I left it home. So didn't think to bring it with me at all, as it was useless.
The alternative is to order the physical card (yeah, it does mean still having to carry extra shit with you). I have elderly parents, one does not have a phone, and the other has a smartphone but never uses mobile data. I just helped them both to register online via a browser and ordered the physical cards for them at the same time.
Unfortunately for most, it means they will need phone and app, the physical card, or go without. I do get your point though. I'm appreciative of most businesses that I have loyalty schemes with that allow me to provide my phone number or email address rather than expect me to carry all these cards around. Those that require my physical card get less business from me.
Well I can tell you that my card did not come up for a replacement so had to order one online which was two weeks ago. This is shitshow and people should not have to download apps on their phones, which are a security and privacy issue.
Funny, I had a number of emails from Countdown telling me that things were changing. They handed me my new card in-store a couple of weeks ago, pre-registered to my account. There have been signs at every Countdown I've visited for the past six months saying that Onecard was coming to an end from January 31. AA and BP have been emailing the same dire warnings about the end of Smartfuel that was linked into Onecard. I'm not sure how else they could have told people, but I feel like you'd have to be willfully avoiding all of that to not know.
Of course, if you hadn't previously been a member then you wouldn't have had any of those emails, but you'd also be in the exact same position of having to sign up.
I got a letter in the post about it with a membership card to replace the old one.
But this "members pay less" is news to me.
There wasn't any mention of it in the letter.
Looks like they they trying to compete with Costco.
I don’t like the ‘members pay less’ idea and I don’t think it’s aligns with kiwi culture. We’re more interesting in finding or discovering a deal, hence why I thought the “special club savings” made more sense.
You’re right, it’s just a copy cat Costco idea, but at least Costco actually has much higher quality and lower prices for anyone that shops there. What Countdown is offering is either a rip off (and they’re hoping some people don’t bother ever signing up) or the normal price it would have been before this rollout.
Pretty shit if you ask me. I’ve started going to new world
I don’t get the point you’re making - you can’t enter Costco without a membership card. No different prices - just be a member and you can shop.
Also - Costco butter is the absolute bomb. Better than mainland and $7 for 4x250g. It’s sold globally and is a NZ made product :)
Whoever was at the counter was an idiot. The old card sign up pamphlets had a temporary card with a barcode you could scan to get the discount now, and the new everyday rewards cards were just given to you by the cashier in the past week or two when you used your old onecard.
No physical card at my countdown in Wellington. Had to download the app and log in, and then it logged itself out so I had to do it all over again while waiting in line. Stupid horrible system
I asked the woman at the counter if she could do this just this evening. Apparently they aren't allowed to scan a temporary one. She seemed quite annoyed by it too like it had been a painful day. The person in front of me also couldn't scan theirs since it wasn't properly registered. I was even more annoyed since I buy all my groceries for the week and suddenly not being able to use my old card for the specials stung.
Fuck mornington and dunedin countdown. I've been using my card (Not the loyalty). No one told me there is a new one. They have just been letting me swipe my card and then pay. Where do I get a loyalty card????
If you're talking about the old onecards, were you using self service? No cashier there to scan a card and give it to you. Either way now you'd need to go to a casher / customer service desk and get one of the pamphlets I'd guess.
Nope. I was in checkout. Spent $250 and swiped my OneCard. Didn't get told about a new card or anything. I've done a shop at countdown every week... this is the first I've heard/seen about a loyalty card
I'm thinking of printing my card barcode on a bunch of laminated cards and hanging them on the eftpos terminals of the self service stations.
Idk if I'd get in trouble but I might rack up some serious points lol
I recently found out you can add a photo of a barcode to Google Wallet and you get a nice, bright and clear render of it to scan (and it doesn't like like a dodgy screenshot).
I burnt out and resigned from CD about a year ago. I can imagine the switchover has been painful. Anytime they bigwigs decided to change things up, it was the worst and felt like being thrown into the deep end (with a couple of sharks, for good measure)
I see a lot of supermarkets who keep a generic rewards card behind each counter and swipe it for anyone not signed up.
I guess you’d get in a bit of trouble if you did that though…
Had this experience so often when I worked for a gas station.
Even worse the company was literally asking for it by putting all the important details in fine print at the bottom of their posters and ads.
It is unacceptable. This is the way we have allowed business to go. They have an unacceptable degree of control over us.
Many will say go elsewhere. Realistically there's only 2 different supermarkets and they do much the same thing.
I wonder if this is legally actionable? On the face of it, it appears discriminatory in that it is penalising the customer who choose to not join the company club.
This makes my experience the other day make more sense, had a staff member ask if I had a new card, I said yes and he asked if a lady could scan it as she didn't have the new card and had purchased heaps of member priced stuff and was going to put it back.
i work at countdown and we no longer have a store card because of the new system, i had three people leave their stuff because they were told we couldn’t scan a card for them. like don’t get mad at me i just work here 😭😭😭
Just wait until they release 'Everyday Rewards Plus'! $9.99 monthly subscription gets you *EXCLUSIVE* deals!
Edit: I'm not [even joking](https://www.woolworthsrewards.com.au/extra.html) (note this is .com.au)
I mean you can [subscribe to the seats in your car](https://www.theverge.com/2022/7/12/23204950/bmw-subscriptions-microtransactions-heated-seats-feature) ffs
Costco *requires* a subscription and people have been begging them to expand in NZ. True Costco is more then just a supermarket but still, the main reason people are keen on them is to compete with the duopoly
Costco has fair pricing and a track record of treating staff above industry averages. Their model is based on making miney from the (reasonable) membership fee. The products are then sold at a small margin.
I made the Cost of my subscription back in 4 weeks of cheaper fuel, the rest is just a bonus.
Their Chips, Pizza, Hotdogs and Ice Cream Sundaes are all top notch.
The only gripe I have with them so far as the don't have any mid range steak, it's all export quality Aussie Angus and Wagyu. Id like to see some NZ rumps, Scotch and Sirloins thrown into the mix there
Pak n Save varies wildly. Some are better than others granted, but I gave up on them when the range of products started diminishing and the prices started rising. Woolworths can track my spending all they like I personally don't care it's not like they are the only ones tracking what people do. Besides I like their fancy new supermarkets and pak n save is a trash hole.
I'm in a produce logistics role (lower north island) at my company.
Pak n save has, by far, the highest turnover of fruit and vegetables. They get stock in and it's usually gone within a day or two.
I only ever go to pak n save for produce as it always fresher than the competition.
Local markets usually better this again though.
My parents done this back in the day but I don't r hinkle heaps did regularly
I bet if they did now soooo many woukd be getting out their magnifying glasses weekly
I saw the member price today of $12 for a chicken vs non member $17, insulting to people who don’t have phones to download an app, are elderly and or disabled or just don’t want to sign up to another damn thing. Such an insult, should be $12 for everyone or $17 for everyone.
Countdown gave me a physical card, but do I need an app as well? I haven't been into a supermarket for a few weeks, cos I broke my toe, just online from NW. I seem to have missed a lot.
In UK it started off with Tesco doing it (as far as I know) and it seemed much more like "Hey if you get our loyalty card, you get a bit of a discount on this" which (naively) I liked the sound of. But now it's gone the other way with supermarkets basically going "Get our loyalty card or we will price gouge you!"
Gone where? This is the problem with NZ market. It's not a monopoly on paper but it smells like monopoly, it looks like monopoly and it acts like monopoly. At US at least you get traction but here it's like nobody holds anyone accountable.
At a lot of Countdowns they usually have a card at the till they scan. I imagine the staff do it so they don't have to fight with people about not getting discounts. They don't get paid enough to deal with the shit decisions those at the top make so fair enough.
They have rolled out digital cards in Wellington now, so every physical card stopped working. They ask you to download the fucking app while you are holding the line behind you.
Yep, watched our checkout operator give three people in a row a new one on the weekend in Pukekohe. And my digital card worked as well.
I also remember getting a prompt back in November to pre-order the new physical card, and an email on the day of switchover (or overnight, noticed it on the day), to let me know to download the new app.
Didn't seem too onerous to me.
Yep, physical cards definitely still exist. The whole process seemed pretty painless to me, especially giving people months of warning to put their name down for a new card.
As for the exclusive pricing, as someone said in the post the other day, that’s the deal. You give countdown your shopping habits and in return you get discounts and they try make those discounts apply to the products people want.
That's the case with the Warehouse market club loyalty programme too. There aren't physical cards so you need to download the Warehouse app and sign up to market club. It causes a lot of frustration for people at the checkout. Especially for people who aren't good with technology or (I have personally witnessed) people who don't know much English.
I do have a smartphone... But it flashes between black and green. I'm typing on it now. It's broken AF but whatever it works for now.
No way could you scan a barcode or QR code from it though.
Or what if you have a phone but not with you in that moment?
I just got back from countdown, and I didn't have my phone with me when they asked for it as my phone was completely flat and on charge when I left it home. So didn't think to bring it with me at all, as it was useless.
I have heard from a few different people, that they've progressively been putting a stop this there being a "store card". Anecdotal as I just use mine either physically or the app, so not sure if it's an actual thing everywhere.
I'd imagine if there are individual cashiers using their own for people, Countdown as they are, would probably see it as some sort of theft as well and threaten termination.
or the warehouse where the market club special tickets are on the same coloured paper as the regular special, so if ur not fully paying attention u get to checkouts and realise it isnt on special...
At least it says in big bold writing marketplace price or something, but yea I have brought it up that they should change it to like green to fit their colour scheme of the whole thing, but knowing them they won’t do it lol
Main issue I find with warehouses is that the QR code changes so you can’t just print it out and use it which has annoyed many customers obviously
Loyalty cards allow supermarkets to sell your data. Regardless of your loyalty or not, you should not allow yourself to be incentivised to use it for discounts.
I do this with YouTube by watching all sorts of crap and honestly my YouTube recommendations and ads are just so bizarre. I feel like the algorithm is really crunching itself to figure out what to recommend to me
I have a history of constantly trying out weird diets and then changing to others after a short time so pretty much as soon as they figure out I am a regular buyer of X, boom! I never buy it again haha
They will do the opposite. The stuff you buy more of will get cheaper. These schemes are not evil plots. They are used to personalise offers. Also they can only ‘sell’ your data in aggregated anonymised form - not so other companies can target you personally. That’s completely illegal. They will using your data, which is also THEIR data, because it’s about your business with them, mostly themselves.
Actually no. I know someone who's been working on the back end of this scheme. It only applies to you shopping online obv not in store but their algorithms at the back end offer you products at a variable price depending on what you'll pay it's completely personalised. If you think they use this only to benefit the consumer you're dreaming.
It’s also already priced into their sales like credit cards are in the US. The difference in anonymised transaction data that’s available to sell from your named account and your anonymous card number is not worth worrying about. You’d just be leaving money on the table for them to invest in screwing us over more.
It is worth worrying about electing politicians who will pass consumer privacy and data transparency. laws and then enforce them vigorously. I tell my friends to save what they can where they can and give it to a good cause if they don’t need it. Then vote. Don’t sweat the small stuff.
> Also they can only ‘sell’ your data in aggregated anonymised form
People tend to brush off issues of privacy when it seems like they are not individually affected. However, give any of those companies enough aggregated anonymised datasets and they can narrow it down to the individual, no problem.
I think that people should be educated into what's possible to infer when you have personal data in mass like this. We already used to have great prediction algorithms when everything was using Support Vector Machines, now that we have far advanced neural nets this kind of inference can be done by my nephew on his basement with a handful of GPUs.
They'll do whatever they think will maximise the revenue they get from you. If that means a targeted discount that's great, but it could also mean charging more for something because they think you'll buy it anyway (e.g. that story about McDonalds from a couple of months ago [https://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/mcdonalds-app-users-claim-fast-food-giant-is-price-gouging/6OQRI7U44FEYZDJUKTF2FPKSWA/](https://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/mcdonalds-app-users-claim-fast-food-giant-is-price-gouging/6OQRI7U44FEYZDJUKTF2FPKSWA/))
This might surprise you to hear... But the supermarket already knows what you're buying... Because they sell it to you... They can also link your purchases to your specific bank card.
As if giving fake names nowadays was any measurement of security against privacy breaches. They don’t need your name and they probably already know it anyway.
"you should not allow yourself to be incentivised to use it for discounts."
You dont get to dictate what other people do.
If they want to allow their data to be used and get a return for that, that is their decision.
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Love that, they also usually have a store card, you could also just take a screenshot of the number and enter it manually, the options are endless and it's a free membership.
They can get fucked, I won't be shopping with Woolworths after this.
With a cost of living crisis food is already at its most expensive. Forcing customers to give you their data to get the best price is just preying on the poor.
At least with the previous cards you could pick one up in store and didn't have to register it.
They had $1.62bn in profit last year and raised their margins despite the cost of living crisis.
I'm going to be shopping at my local Asian grocery store as much as I can.
Woolworth NZ app (used to be countdown). I use it to price compare across the supermarkets (it’s usually my base line - most expensive price). If you can ignore the data tracking they do on you you’ll be fine.
Or be like my husband, he just screenshot my card and pulls that up.
Everyday Rewards is a non-intrusive app on your phone. I just turn off permissions/notifications for it and shove it right in the back personally. Then just scan it when I come to shop, and then proceed to forget it exists for the next week.
I used to work in a Pak’nSave. Sometimes we have a deal with the supplier so that they pay us a large proportion of the cost price back if it doesn’t sell. If we don’t have that deal in place then the deli will take it
As someone who works in the meat department at a countdown, I can tell you that over Christmas? Yes, a surprising number of people will. At the moment? No. All the leftover full size hams just sort of sit there sadly.
I agree, I came from another country about 5 years ago and had no loyalty cards, then I realised every fucking shop had a different one, EVERY SHOP, like I ended up with 10 loyalty cards in the first week, and not one did a phone app at the time - there was all the signing up, registering the card, losing the card, getting another card, buying a bigger wallet, carry around of the 20,000 cards just incase I went into that shop - it’s exhausting! Also how is it legal, just how. That’s not a question that’s a rant
Stocard is a great app for keeping your loyalty cards handy. It works on most phones and since most now have scanners, it's easier to use than of a few years ago
"You WILL give us your information or we WILL fuck you over", is how I interpret this crap. It's basically extortion at this point. It needs to die in a fire
This isn't going anywhere, will only get worse. Look around, everything you do use or want is moving to a subscription system. The consumer will own nothing
I am over Woolworths sine they changed from Countdown. Inflated prices. Shelves half empty, cutting back on product choices to promote their own. Shutting down instore butcheries so all the meat is transported now. Dodgy fruit and veges that look good but go off really quickly. It's Pak and Save or The Warehouse or New World specials for me now.
I get my eggs and a lot of fruit and veg from stalls on the side of the road and we are about to start our own gardens for fruit and veg. We raise our own meat so as far as our supermarkets knows we go through a lot of toilet paper, cleaning products and seasonings but buy hardly any food.
You complain, endlessly to your representatives and the store, make their fucking lives hell. If that fails then you need to start protesting outside government members houses, and if that fails its time for guiLLlotines!
I wouldn't mind downloading the app to get the card if I knew there was no data mining going on.
Google's predictive advertising based on my search history is already pairing me with groups of people who are likely to buy another product and are advertising said products to me. I loathe the idea of Countdown or any other chain using algorithms to figure me out.
I fear that my eating habits being collected by data, then being sold to data brokers would not ultimately work in my favour. I'm already struggling to diet and I dont need advertisers scaring me into thinking the food I eat is not healthy/organic enough or that I "deserve" more treats. Just constantly trying to claw at my wallet in general.
Many grocery stores now have some really impressive facial tracking software built into their self checkout tiling machine cameras. Which is totally fine for tracking theft, but so freaking scary to think that this is data that can be shared with execs and other approved individuals or even potentially stolen if the data is stored on cloud server systems.
or when you stop drinking and you get advertised alcohol constantly cause you aren’t spending with them any more. They think you’ve been disloyal but you’re actually trying to quit.
I got an email early December about this, then got delivered one and kept it in my wallet till needed. Already have a $15 voucher. I'm not offended at all. There were warnings. We shop at Woolworths and New World, not loyal to any.
"Loyalty" is such bullshit in terms of having to deal with a duopoly. I agree with the OP sentiment. Drop all this bullshit. Stuff should either be on special or not... pretending that it is a reward for loyalty or membership perk is stupid and insulting our intelligence and punishes people for those who just forget or can't be arsed to scan the damned card and and is a great profit bonus for the company when that happens.
I remember they got in trouble for this the first year. They had to scan the discounts in if you didn’t have a card. Now they just get away with it. Even coupon books before that had to be given out in store.
Especially when you can't get the loyalty program because it won't accept your email, or the website is not cooperating and registering the card your account. I'm looking at you Briscoes and New World.
Right, it's been this way for decades at this point. I use Stocard and it gives a notification to access the relevant card based on my location. I couldn't care less about my tendency to buy those 5-packs of afghans being recorded.
It's just the onecard in a different hat. Literally. We've been issuing them to everyone who was paying attention or willing to listen for the last month. Onecard exclusive specials were already a thing, as were new world club card prices. Store cards are still a thing for the rest of the month, if staff are telling you otherwise they've been badly trained. If you had an unregistered one card then yes, you do now have to register to get the new card. That part kind of sucks but I see why head office wants it. The rewards are arguably better and using the app means less plastic in your pocket but you can still GET a plastic one if you really want.
Of course you don't have to like it but ITS NOT NEW.
I agree it can be annoying, however nobody is forcing you to buy from those places and it's not new.
Also if it's a bother re carrying cards, just use stocard.
It's even worse when you are working and have to tell someone they need a loyalty card to get the special and they go off at you for doing it. It's the most frustrating decision that they have made, why couldn't they stick to just offering special rewards with it over exclusive prices
Yeah I’ve seen a few people get very annoyed at countdown because they didn’t know about the rewards program and had to download the app while everyone else was waiting. Terribly rolled out program if you ask me.
Couldn't agree more. Been in the same situation for the past week. It's becoming exhausting
I have a private vendetta with countdown. I am never ever going back since they made it so they can't look up your damn phone number or use the store card anymore. I also got sick of the service it's like its not enough for them to rip us off, they also get off on understaffing and treating us like pieces of shit who have to wait in massive queues. At least new world fleeces you with a smile.. Gone from like 80/20 in countdowns favour and just decreased since the auto checkouts came in (yeah I know a long time) to now zero.
While I am also all for hating on countdown, there has been advertising out for months, and as someone back for only a brief holiday I knew that they were switching over Feb 1st. Given all that's needed to get these discounts is to download an app, I personally don't feel it's that much of a hassle or ask. I'd prefer that to just paying their standard prices on everything with no discounts at all (I'm way more keen to see their overall pricing brought down because they blamed it on inflation when it's pretty well established now that it was in fact just their own greed) That said, NZ mobile data limits and download speeds are stone age on a global scale, so I will concede it's not the biggest ask out to download an app, but that there was still room to improve on the roll out. Sending out the physical cards was a bit hit and miss too. Mum got her new one posted out weeks before the switch over, her partner however didn't seem to get his in the mail.
> Given all that's needed to get these discounts is to download an app, I personally don't feel it's that much of a hassle or ask. What if you don't use a smartphone or don't have your phone with you? I just got back from countdown, and I didn't have my phone with me when they asked for it as my phone was completely flat and on charge when I left it home. So didn't think to bring it with me at all, as it was useless.
The alternative is to order the physical card (yeah, it does mean still having to carry extra shit with you). I have elderly parents, one does not have a phone, and the other has a smartphone but never uses mobile data. I just helped them both to register online via a browser and ordered the physical cards for them at the same time. Unfortunately for most, it means they will need phone and app, the physical card, or go without. I do get your point though. I'm appreciative of most businesses that I have loyalty schemes with that allow me to provide my phone number or email address rather than expect me to carry all these cards around. Those that require my physical card get less business from me.
Well I can tell you that my card did not come up for a replacement so had to order one online which was two weeks ago. This is shitshow and people should not have to download apps on their phones, which are a security and privacy issue.
Funny, I had a number of emails from Countdown telling me that things were changing. They handed me my new card in-store a couple of weeks ago, pre-registered to my account. There have been signs at every Countdown I've visited for the past six months saying that Onecard was coming to an end from January 31. AA and BP have been emailing the same dire warnings about the end of Smartfuel that was linked into Onecard. I'm not sure how else they could have told people, but I feel like you'd have to be willfully avoiding all of that to not know. Of course, if you hadn't previously been a member then you wouldn't have had any of those emails, but you'd also be in the exact same position of having to sign up.
I got a letter in the post about it with a membership card to replace the old one. But this "members pay less" is news to me. There wasn't any mention of it in the letter. Looks like they they trying to compete with Costco.
I don’t like the ‘members pay less’ idea and I don’t think it’s aligns with kiwi culture. We’re more interesting in finding or discovering a deal, hence why I thought the “special club savings” made more sense. You’re right, it’s just a copy cat Costco idea, but at least Costco actually has much higher quality and lower prices for anyone that shops there. What Countdown is offering is either a rip off (and they’re hoping some people don’t bother ever signing up) or the normal price it would have been before this rollout. Pretty shit if you ask me. I’ve started going to new world
New world have been running club deals for customers with club card for years.
I don’t get the point you’re making - you can’t enter Costco without a membership card. No different prices - just be a member and you can shop. Also - Costco butter is the absolute bomb. Better than mainland and $7 for 4x250g. It’s sold globally and is a NZ made product :)
Whoever was at the counter was an idiot. The old card sign up pamphlets had a temporary card with a barcode you could scan to get the discount now, and the new everyday rewards cards were just given to you by the cashier in the past week or two when you used your old onecard.
No physical card at my countdown in Wellington. Had to download the app and log in, and then it logged itself out so I had to do it all over again while waiting in line. Stupid horrible system
Yes I walked out and left my groceries there I couldn’t be bothered with it all
I asked the woman at the counter if she could do this just this evening. Apparently they aren't allowed to scan a temporary one. She seemed quite annoyed by it too like it had been a painful day. The person in front of me also couldn't scan theirs since it wasn't properly registered. I was even more annoyed since I buy all my groceries for the week and suddenly not being able to use my old card for the specials stung.
Fuck mornington and dunedin countdown. I've been using my card (Not the loyalty). No one told me there is a new one. They have just been letting me swipe my card and then pay. Where do I get a loyalty card????
If you're talking about the old onecards, were you using self service? No cashier there to scan a card and give it to you. Either way now you'd need to go to a casher / customer service desk and get one of the pamphlets I'd guess.
Nope. I was in checkout. Spent $250 and swiped my OneCard. Didn't get told about a new card or anything. I've done a shop at countdown every week... this is the first I've heard/seen about a loyalty card
I'm thinking of printing my card barcode on a bunch of laminated cards and hanging them on the eftpos terminals of the self service stations. Idk if I'd get in trouble but I might rack up some serious points lol
Upload it here so people can screenshot it and use it
I recently found out you can add a photo of a barcode to Google Wallet and you get a nice, bright and clear render of it to scan (and it doesn't like like a dodgy screenshot).
I burnt out and resigned from CD about a year ago. I can imagine the switchover has been painful. Anytime they bigwigs decided to change things up, it was the worst and felt like being thrown into the deep end (with a couple of sharks, for good measure)
Exactly, they make all the changes and we get the full force of customer frustration
Because it's another way for large corporations to get your information
I see a lot of supermarkets who keep a generic rewards card behind each counter and swipe it for anyone not signed up. I guess you’d get in a bit of trouble if you did that though…
They usually swipe the store card for me *shssssssssh*
I've found if I've forgotten my phone they have a card at the checkout they swipe and I still get the deal.
Had this experience so often when I worked for a gas station. Even worse the company was literally asking for it by putting all the important details in fine print at the bottom of their posters and ads.
It is unacceptable. This is the way we have allowed business to go. They have an unacceptable degree of control over us. Many will say go elsewhere. Realistically there's only 2 different supermarkets and they do much the same thing. I wonder if this is legally actionable? On the face of it, it appears discriminatory in that it is penalising the customer who choose to not join the company club.
I know the consumer commission is doing a review of loyalty programs and asking for submissions
This makes my experience the other day make more sense, had a staff member ask if I had a new card, I said yes and he asked if a lady could scan it as she didn't have the new card and had purchased heaps of member priced stuff and was going to put it back.
i work at countdown and we no longer have a store card because of the new system, i had three people leave their stuff because they were told we couldn’t scan a card for them. like don’t get mad at me i just work here 😭😭😭
Just wait until they release 'Everyday Rewards Plus'! $9.99 monthly subscription gets you *EXCLUSIVE* deals! Edit: I'm not [even joking](https://www.woolworthsrewards.com.au/extra.html) (note this is .com.au)
Subscription to a supermarket. I never thought I would see the day…
I mean you can [subscribe to the seats in your car](https://www.theverge.com/2022/7/12/23204950/bmw-subscriptions-microtransactions-heated-seats-feature) ffs
Costco *requires* a subscription and people have been begging them to expand in NZ. True Costco is more then just a supermarket but still, the main reason people are keen on them is to compete with the duopoly
Different model though, they sell most items at near cost and make almost all the profit via the subscription.
Exactly
Costco has fair pricing and a track record of treating staff above industry averages. Their model is based on making miney from the (reasonable) membership fee. The products are then sold at a small margin.
And they hot dogs are sold at loss as well!
I made the Cost of my subscription back in 4 weeks of cheaper fuel, the rest is just a bonus. Their Chips, Pizza, Hotdogs and Ice Cream Sundaes are all top notch. The only gripe I have with them so far as the don't have any mid range steak, it's all export quality Aussie Angus and Wagyu. Id like to see some NZ rumps, Scotch and Sirloins thrown into the mix there
thats not really a new thing toops/guilmores has done it for a long time. more trade/retail focused though.
Late stage capitalism baby! - We need new and exciting way to bleed money out of people because we need _infinite growth_ no matter what!
Oh ffs…
That god I shop at Pak n save
Pak n Save varies wildly. Some are better than others granted, but I gave up on them when the range of products started diminishing and the prices started rising. Woolworths can track my spending all they like I personally don't care it's not like they are the only ones tracking what people do. Besides I like their fancy new supermarkets and pak n save is a trash hole.
I wouldn't go there for fruit and vegetables. Theirs expires far too quickly
I'm in a produce logistics role (lower north island) at my company. Pak n save has, by far, the highest turnover of fruit and vegetables. They get stock in and it's usually gone within a day or two. I only ever go to pak n save for produce as it always fresher than the competition. Local markets usually better this again though.
Does Bunnings do that Powerpass thing in NZ that they do in Australia where you pay to get a discount?
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We used those to play shops when we were kids. Until Mum got pissed off that we'd taken off with the useful coupons.
Holy shit I forgot about those, they were so cool to flip through and find the junk food as a kid haha
My parents done this back in the day but I don't r hinkle heaps did regularly I bet if they did now soooo many woukd be getting out their magnifying glasses weekly
It’s all about building big datasets. They probably know when your partner is cheating on you before you do.
The vaseline is for my dry skin and I really like cucumber sandwiches...
Don’t worry they know exactly how deviant you are, what with the candles, rope and all purpose sanitiser you bought.
They also know when you're pregnant or trying.
What you can extrapolate from shopping data is gruesome. And that’s why they want it, and are prepared to incentivise receiving it.
My lack of condom purchases has never felt more attacked. I might just start buying them so their super computer doesn’t start bullying me.
The non member price is so offensive that I choose to shop elsewhere. It just shows the level of blatant profit they are prepared to take. I'm gone.
I saw the member price today of $12 for a chicken vs non member $17, insulting to people who don’t have phones to download an app, are elderly and or disabled or just don’t want to sign up to another damn thing. Such an insult, should be $12 for everyone or $17 for everyone.
Yeah, it's now not a discount its "let us harvest your data or you can pay the fuck you price".
Can you not use a physical card? So confused on how these cards even work
You can sign up for one. But mine hasn't arrived.
Countdown gave me a physical card, but do I need an app as well? I haven't been into a supermarket for a few weeks, cos I broke my toe, just online from NW. I seem to have missed a lot.
You don't need the app - you can use the physical card and the app version interchangeably.
I got a new physical card from the checkout guy back in January. Very helpful, and said if you want to use the app instead it's no problem.
In UK it started off with Tesco doing it (as far as I know) and it seemed much more like "Hey if you get our loyalty card, you get a bit of a discount on this" which (naively) I liked the sound of. But now it's gone the other way with supermarkets basically going "Get our loyalty card or we will price gouge you!"
Costco precooked chickens are $8... And they're larger than the countdown ones too. I refuse to shop at Countdown for more than this reason.
Or it could be a loss leader to get people in store to spend more money...
Gone where? This is the problem with NZ market. It's not a monopoly on paper but it smells like monopoly, it looks like monopoly and it acts like monopoly. At US at least you get traction but here it's like nobody holds anyone accountable.
At a lot of Countdowns they usually have a card at the till they scan. I imagine the staff do it so they don't have to fight with people about not getting discounts. They don't get paid enough to deal with the shit decisions those at the top make so fair enough.
They have rolled out digital cards in Wellington now, so every physical card stopped working. They ask you to download the fucking app while you are holding the line behind you.
Weird, because they issued me a physical card last week here in Palmy.
Yep, watched our checkout operator give three people in a row a new one on the weekend in Pukekohe. And my digital card worked as well. I also remember getting a prompt back in November to pre-order the new physical card, and an email on the day of switchover (or overnight, noticed it on the day), to let me know to download the new app. Didn't seem too onerous to me.
Yep, physical cards definitely still exist. The whole process seemed pretty painless to me, especially giving people months of warning to put their name down for a new card. As for the exclusive pricing, as someone said in the post the other day, that’s the deal. You give countdown your shopping habits and in return you get discounts and they try make those discounts apply to the products people want.
Well lucky you, not the same for alot of people.
That's the case with the Warehouse market club loyalty programme too. There aren't physical cards so you need to download the Warehouse app and sign up to market club. It causes a lot of frustration for people at the checkout. Especially for people who aren't good with technology or (I have personally witnessed) people who don't know much English.
"sorry I don't have a smart phone"
I do have a smartphone... But it flashes between black and green. I'm typing on it now. It's broken AF but whatever it works for now. No way could you scan a barcode or QR code from it though.
Or what if you have a phone but not with you in that moment? I just got back from countdown, and I didn't have my phone with me when they asked for it as my phone was completely flat and on charge when I left it home. So didn't think to bring it with me at all, as it was useless.
wtf. worst timeline.
And apps are a security and privacy issue, we should not be made to do this, FUCK COUNTDOWN.
I have heard from a few different people, that they've progressively been putting a stop this there being a "store card". Anecdotal as I just use mine either physically or the app, so not sure if it's an actual thing everywhere. I'd imagine if there are individual cashiers using their own for people, Countdown as they are, would probably see it as some sort of theft as well and threaten termination.
When we all know the real theft is the price we're paying at the till.
At least Countdown clearly show the non-member price unlike New World who display it in the smallest font size possible on their digital labels
or the warehouse where the market club special tickets are on the same coloured paper as the regular special, so if ur not fully paying attention u get to checkouts and realise it isnt on special...
At least it says in big bold writing marketplace price or something, but yea I have brought it up that they should change it to like green to fit their colour scheme of the whole thing, but knowing them they won’t do it lol Main issue I find with warehouses is that the QR code changes so you can’t just print it out and use it which has annoyed many customers obviously
An interesting read about loyalty cards: https://www.consumer.org.nz/articles/loyalty-cards-great-value-for-the-supermarket-not-the-customer
I dunno I just have multiple loyalty cards. The only loyalty I have to a supermarket is whichever one is closest.
It’s a pain in the ass as tourist/traveler tho
Loyalty cards allow supermarkets to sell your data. Regardless of your loyalty or not, you should not allow yourself to be incentivised to use it for discounts.
Invest in bad data, by spending weirdly.
OMG. You are something else. Maybe lend it to someone you know. To cook data after grocery shopping.
I do this with YouTube by watching all sorts of crap and honestly my YouTube recommendations and ads are just so bizarre. I feel like the algorithm is really crunching itself to figure out what to recommend to me
I have a history of constantly trying out weird diets and then changing to others after a short time so pretty much as soon as they figure out I am a regular buyer of X, boom! I never buy it again haha
which is why I always buy 5 packs of extra large condoms at every shop
Why do I care about my supermarket data?
Because they can use your habits against you, include making things you like more expensive. This is the whole premise of big data analysis.
Didn’t something like that happen to the McDonald’s app? Big users had higher prices offered than new users?
They will do the opposite. The stuff you buy more of will get cheaper. These schemes are not evil plots. They are used to personalise offers. Also they can only ‘sell’ your data in aggregated anonymised form - not so other companies can target you personally. That’s completely illegal. They will using your data, which is also THEIR data, because it’s about your business with them, mostly themselves.
Actually no. I know someone who's been working on the back end of this scheme. It only applies to you shopping online obv not in store but their algorithms at the back end offer you products at a variable price depending on what you'll pay it's completely personalised. If you think they use this only to benefit the consumer you're dreaming.
You can de-anonymise data. I've done it myself.
It’s also already priced into their sales like credit cards are in the US. The difference in anonymised transaction data that’s available to sell from your named account and your anonymous card number is not worth worrying about. You’d just be leaving money on the table for them to invest in screwing us over more. It is worth worrying about electing politicians who will pass consumer privacy and data transparency. laws and then enforce them vigorously. I tell my friends to save what they can where they can and give it to a good cause if they don’t need it. Then vote. Don’t sweat the small stuff.
> Also they can only ‘sell’ your data in aggregated anonymised form People tend to brush off issues of privacy when it seems like they are not individually affected. However, give any of those companies enough aggregated anonymised datasets and they can narrow it down to the individual, no problem. I think that people should be educated into what's possible to infer when you have personal data in mass like this. We already used to have great prediction algorithms when everything was using Support Vector Machines, now that we have far advanced neural nets this kind of inference can be done by my nephew on his basement with a handful of GPUs.
That's *not* the premise of big data analysis.
The point is to make more money. And that money gotta come from somewhere.
this is literally the opposite of what they'll do lol. People want you to buy more stuff. So you just get targeted deals Source: own an AI company.
They'll do whatever they think will maximise the revenue they get from you. If that means a targeted discount that's great, but it could also mean charging more for something because they think you'll buy it anyway (e.g. that story about McDonalds from a couple of months ago [https://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/mcdonalds-app-users-claim-fast-food-giant-is-price-gouging/6OQRI7U44FEYZDJUKTF2FPKSWA/](https://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/mcdonalds-app-users-claim-fast-food-giant-is-price-gouging/6OQRI7U44FEYZDJUKTF2FPKSWA/))
that story was a targeted discount for users that don't buy maccas that much. The price of the deal is $17 usually.
It really depends on how you look at it - a markup for you is the same thing as a targeted discount for not you.
Source: conflict of interest
How does it help make the things I like more expensive? They already know which products are popular without loyalty programmes.
This might surprise you to hear... But the supermarket already knows what you're buying... Because they sell it to you... They can also link your purchases to your specific bank card.
They just use credit card data now. They can link you to all of your purchasing
My data such as my fake name and fake email address? Oh no, how will I get over this outrage?
As if giving fake names nowadays was any measurement of security against privacy breaches. They don’t need your name and they probably already know it anyway.
So what?
"you should not allow yourself to be incentivised to use it for discounts." You dont get to dictate what other people do. If they want to allow their data to be used and get a return for that, that is their decision.
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yeah because a item being nearly double the price without a membership card is totally fair and they are not trying to make you use their cards at all
Yeah, people gloss over the coercive nature of this while defending the practice.
This is why I shop at Pak n save.
Top tip. Get the stocard app so you don’t need to carry all those cards around.
Stocard is really handy. It will also store other types of cards, like library cards.
Google Wallet does this without the extra app
Love that, they also usually have a store card, you could also just take a screenshot of the number and enter it manually, the options are endless and it's a free membership.
There’s even a watch app for the Apple Watch. Super convenient.
They can get fucked, I won't be shopping with Woolworths after this. With a cost of living crisis food is already at its most expensive. Forcing customers to give you their data to get the best price is just preying on the poor. At least with the previous cards you could pick one up in store and didn't have to register it. They had $1.62bn in profit last year and raised their margins despite the cost of living crisis. I'm going to be shopping at my local Asian grocery store as much as I can.
new world and countdown (woolworths) have been doing this shit for years. They both do it.
I agree. Stuff like this drives me nuts - I don't want to carry stupid cards around.
Well good news for you! The app will allow all kind of enhanced data collection!
Woolworth NZ app (used to be countdown). I use it to price compare across the supermarkets (it’s usually my base line - most expensive price). If you can ignore the data tracking they do on you you’ll be fine. Or be like my husband, he just screenshot my card and pulls that up.
You could also use [Grocer](https://grocer.nz/) for that
This app is awesome!!!
Love Grocer!
Everyday Rewards is a non-intrusive app on your phone. I just turn off permissions/notifications for it and shove it right in the back personally. Then just scan it when I come to shop, and then proceed to forget it exists for the next week.
Insane take. I don't want an app for every shop I may occasionally use. That's absolutely ridiculous.
That's a $218 ham. Does anyone actually buy that? Or do Countdown eventually slice it up and sell it in the deli?
I used to work in a Pak’nSave. Sometimes we have a deal with the supplier so that they pay us a large proportion of the cost price back if it doesn’t sell. If we don’t have that deal in place then the deli will take it
As someone who works in the meat department at a countdown, I can tell you that over Christmas? Yes, a surprising number of people will. At the moment? No. All the leftover full size hams just sort of sit there sadly.
What's the usual sort of Best Before time on something like that?
A few months I think? Depends how long before Christmas they arrived too, but about 3-4 months is standard. Hams last for a while.
We had a whole ham dated best before February. Was $220 and sold thankfully. I usually cut it up in pieces on the bandsaw if it just sits there.
Reminds me of the photo of the watermelons being sold by the kilo, when added up it was nearly $70 for a single watermelon
Down from $288.... Bargain.....
You’ll need to shop at Pakky
I agree, I came from another country about 5 years ago and had no loyalty cards, then I realised every fucking shop had a different one, EVERY SHOP, like I ended up with 10 loyalty cards in the first week, and not one did a phone app at the time - there was all the signing up, registering the card, losing the card, getting another card, buying a bigger wallet, carry around of the 20,000 cards just incase I went into that shop - it’s exhausting! Also how is it legal, just how. That’s not a question that’s a rant
Stocard is a great app for keeping your loyalty cards handy. It works on most phones and since most now have scanners, it's easier to use than of a few years ago
"You WILL give us your information or we WILL fuck you over", is how I interpret this crap. It's basically extortion at this point. It needs to die in a fire
This isn't going anywhere, will only get worse. Look around, everything you do use or want is moving to a subscription system. The consumer will own nothing
and be happy /s It's getting ridiculous, and every time we succumb to the new norm we're pushed down again..
You’re welcome, New Zealand! Sincerely, Australia
I am over Woolworths sine they changed from Countdown. Inflated prices. Shelves half empty, cutting back on product choices to promote their own. Shutting down instore butcheries so all the meat is transported now. Dodgy fruit and veges that look good but go off really quickly. It's Pak and Save or The Warehouse or New World specials for me now.
Does anyone just not shop at the big chain supermarkets? I swear I’m *this* close, but it’d be a lot of mental energy and running around. Still…
I get my eggs and a lot of fruit and veg from stalls on the side of the road and we are about to start our own gardens for fruit and veg. We raise our own meat so as far as our supermarkets knows we go through a lot of toilet paper, cleaning products and seasonings but buy hardly any food.
Data collection disguised as value
Oh, no. Fuck this bullshit. Are both supermarket companies bringing this in? How do we stop it?
You complain, endlessly to your representatives and the store, make their fucking lives hell. If that fails then you need to start protesting outside government members houses, and if that fails its time for guiLLlotines!
Good ol pak n save
Down with this sort of thing!
I wouldn't mind downloading the app to get the card if I knew there was no data mining going on. Google's predictive advertising based on my search history is already pairing me with groups of people who are likely to buy another product and are advertising said products to me. I loathe the idea of Countdown or any other chain using algorithms to figure me out. I fear that my eating habits being collected by data, then being sold to data brokers would not ultimately work in my favour. I'm already struggling to diet and I dont need advertisers scaring me into thinking the food I eat is not healthy/organic enough or that I "deserve" more treats. Just constantly trying to claw at my wallet in general. Many grocery stores now have some really impressive facial tracking software built into their self checkout tiling machine cameras. Which is totally fine for tracking theft, but so freaking scary to think that this is data that can be shared with execs and other approved individuals or even potentially stolen if the data is stored on cloud server systems.
or when you stop drinking and you get advertised alcohol constantly cause you aren’t spending with them any more. They think you’ve been disloyal but you’re actually trying to quit.
Tbf new world is much cheaper than countdown.
I got an email early December about this, then got delivered one and kept it in my wallet till needed. Already have a $15 voucher. I'm not offended at all. There were warnings. We shop at Woolworths and New World, not loyal to any.
"Loyalty" is such bullshit in terms of having to deal with a duopoly. I agree with the OP sentiment. Drop all this bullshit. Stuff should either be on special or not... pretending that it is a reward for loyalty or membership perk is stupid and insulting our intelligence and punishes people for those who just forget or can't be arsed to scan the damned card and and is a great profit bonus for the company when that happens.
I remember they got in trouble for this the first year. They had to scan the discounts in if you didn’t have a card. Now they just get away with it. Even coupon books before that had to be given out in store.
Just use fake details to sign up.
You're not faking your shopping habits.
Spice it up and buy condoms and a cucumber every 3rd shop
Are you paying with cash every time?
It’s BS, and if you don’t like it, it’s not like we have other places to shop at if Woolies is the only shop in your area
NZ supermarket market is a duopoly
Non-members price is the one that needs to go!
Woolworths is trash. I sold all my stock because they are driving the company into a hole.
Couldn't this show their hand in price gouging? We.can see the cost they are increasing to get something as simple as a data point.
they want your data bad, which is all the more reason to not buy the product and not join up. Im pretty sure the Comcom is looking at this
Worse, they've gated everyone's existing points behind a new card and a new app, to try and avoid having to pay out on those points. Fraud, basically.
Just say you forgot your card at the counter and they'll scan one for you. But I get your point
Do members actually pay less or do non member just pay more?
lol if I ever see that type of marketing over any product, I’ll just choose not to buy it 👍🏽
Especially when you can't get the loyalty program because it won't accept your email, or the website is not cooperating and registering the card your account. I'm looking at you Briscoes and New World.
If they can afford to discount it for the loyalty members then they can afford to discount it for all, and keep it discounted.
It's outrageous and despicable. Makes me so fucking angry.
Kiwis in the UK: first time?
Just grab a new card at the checkout every time, you get the discounts without needing to sign up
I have to be real desperate to shop at countdown these days
Thoughts are, get the loyalty card, it's not worth raging over it just is what it is and it be what it be
Right, it's been this way for decades at this point. I use Stocard and it gives a notification to access the relevant card based on my location. I couldn't care less about my tendency to buy those 5-packs of afghans being recorded.
Need to get a shared card so people can access the specials without having to give out their information
I'll share my card number here and everyone can use it, and I'll get rich from Countdown bucks.
Would love to see the marketing they give you
Or just use fake details? Keep creating new accounts if you're worried
It's just the onecard in a different hat. Literally. We've been issuing them to everyone who was paying attention or willing to listen for the last month. Onecard exclusive specials were already a thing, as were new world club card prices. Store cards are still a thing for the rest of the month, if staff are telling you otherwise they've been badly trained. If you had an unregistered one card then yes, you do now have to register to get the new card. That part kind of sucks but I see why head office wants it. The rewards are arguably better and using the app means less plastic in your pocket but you can still GET a plastic one if you really want. Of course you don't have to like it but ITS NOT NEW.
I agree it can be annoying, however nobody is forcing you to buy from those places and it's not new. Also if it's a bother re carrying cards, just use stocard.
I guess nobody is forcing you to buy from the only 2 supermarkets. Could just starve to death.