Major change to Nectar card revealed as Sainsbury’s aims to beat rival reward schemes

Sainsbury’s has made major changes to its Nectar card as the supermarket aims to emulate competitors’ smart shopping schemes.

Starting today, the Nectar Prices loyalty program has expanded to include discounts on 300 products, including the popular Heinz Baked Beans and Nescafe coffee.

With food inflation hitting 17.5 percent, the Sainsbury’s CEO says the expanded range of offers is “just the beginning” for shoppers.

The grocer has tried to compete with rivals in a variety of ways, including the Aldi price comparison program, and reportedly raised prices more slowly than other stores in the industry, despite pressure from the cost-of-living crisis.

Shoppers using the Sainsbury’s Nectar program will see significant savings on a wide range of items, including household products, pet food and confectionery.

Heinz Baked Beans is a third off and now costs shoppers 95p instead of £1.40.

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The price of a 200g jar of Nescafe Gold Blend has been slashed by more than half, from £8.10 to £4.

A 24 pack of 330ml Coke Zero which normally costs £10 is available for just £5.

Similar savings can be found on Ariel All-in-1 pods which, with Nectar, are on offer for £5 rather than the typical £10.50.

The supermarket says its Nectar Prizes program will expand to even more product categories throughout the year.

Shoppers will also find personally tailored offers of up to 30 percent per week through the program’s Your Nectar Prices benefit.

Sainsbury’s bought Nectar in 2018. But currently discounts are only offered to customers who scan their items themselves.

Following the changes, Nectar offers are now applied when customers scan their Nectar card at checkout – in the same way Tesco Clubcard prices are applied.

Customers who shop online will have their discounts applied automatically if their Nectar and Sainsbury’s accounts are linked.

Those who don’t already have a Nectar card can access the Nectar prize schedule by downloading the app and creating a Nectar account.

The supermarket says its Nectar Prizes program will expand to even more product categories throughout the year. Shoppers will also find personally tailored offers of up to 30 percent per week through the program’s Your Nectar Prices benefit

Sainsbury’s bought Nectar in 2018. But currently discounts are only offered to customers who scan their items themselves. Following the changes, Nectar offers are now applied when customers scan their Nectar card at the checkout

CEO Simon Roberts told MailOnline: ‘We are delighted to launch Nectar Prices, enabling millions of our customers to save more on every trip to Sainsbury’s.

“There is much more to look forward to as we continue to innovate Nectar prices and increase the variety of products.”

He added: ‘It gets better, Nectar customers who shop in store with SmartShop receive additional personalized value with Your Nectar Prices, giving them the best prices on their favorite products.

“Our customers are really at the heart of every decision we make and we hope they find Nectar Price an exciting way to consistently provide them with great value for money throughout the year.”

Mr Roberts also noted that the supermarket has been the slowest in the market to raise product prices. He attributed that performance to a £550 million investment in value over the past year.

Changes to the Nectar program come as supermarkets are accused of using energy costs to pass on even bigger price hikes to tight-skinned customers struggling with rising grocery bills.

Analysts estimate that Tesco made a profit of £1.8bn last year – down from £2.2bn in 2021 – despite an increase in sales that is expected to have risen by around 10 per cent.

Nectar program changes come as supermarkets are accused of using energy costs to pass on even bigger price hikes to cash-strapped customers struggling with rising grocery bills

This is partly because the grocer, Britain’s largest supermarket, reportedly made less profit on each sale.

Profit margins for retailers across the board are under pressure from the surge in costs.

Analysts believe Tesco will use its clout to restore margins to pre-pandemic levels of more than 4 percent by raising its shelf prices faster than the costs it faces.

Meanwhile, shoppers – who also struggle with sky-high energy bills – are increasingly trying to save money by turning to cheaper chains such as Aldi and Lidl.