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Reward schemes are not all created equal – for every shining beacon (hello Boots Advantage Card) there are a whole load of duds involving cards that barely justify their space in your wallet.
Historically, Marks & Spencer’s Sparks schemes has not been a favourite, with many people wondering what they actually get for scanning their Sparks card at the till.
However, the retailer has now relaunched the scheme, offering ‘a personalised Sparks experience designed around each customer’ with ‘real money rewards’.
The digital Sparks wallet will show how much customers have earned in ‘rewards’
At the heart of the transformation is the new digital Sparks wallet (accessible via the M&S app on your phone) where customers earn rewards to spend across any part of M&S, from food to fashion.
A quick look at my new Sparks app reveals I could earn a £6 reward for spending £30 on women’s bags, or a £1 reward if I spend £8 on fresh berries – once I’ve got those rewards they can be splurged on anything, from the weekly shop or a new pair of trousers.
According to M&S there will also be ‘buy and bundle’ offers, where you pick up selected items together and get a reward for doing so (e.g. £5 into your digital Sparks Wallet when you buy a bra and knickers).
The flexibility of the new scheme means you can earn money towards your weekly food shop when buying dresses (hurrah).
M&S is also announcing the first ever Sparks partner – joining forces with Virgin Red, Virgin’s rewards club, giving customers another way to boost their Sparks wallet.
For example earn up to £130 reward into your digital Sparks wallet when you book a Virgin Atlantic Holiday or a £4 reward for every £20 spent on Virgin Experience Days.
Other perks will remain from the previous Sparks card, including free birthday treats, coffee stamps, and charity donations (£20m has been donated to charities to date).
Sharry Cramond, Marketing Director of Fashion, Home & Beauty and Loyalty at M&S said: ‘We are so excited to finally unveil the new Sparks – it’s a complete step change in how we reward our customers. We’ve built this around exactly what they told us they want: simple, personalised offers and real money rewards that drop straight into their very own digital Sparks Wallet to spend at M&S however, whenever and on whatever they choose.’
If you’re already a Sparks member, then you don’t need to do anything – you will automatically be moved over onto the new scheme. If you’re not, then there’s also the option to join online here.
‘Sparks now puts our customers totally in control, rewarding them for buying the products they already love and giving them the opportunity to try new things and get rewarded for it,’ says Crammond.
