Canada tops US for loyalty scheme use
Canadians are more serious rewards program users than US people, out-collecting and redeeming their American counterparts.
That is one of the findings in the Air Miles and American Express Holiday Rewards Survey. The survey found that the vast majority of Canadians collect and use a loyalty or rewards program significantly more than those in the US (91% versus 72%), and that they are also more than twice as likely to use rewards miles or points to pay for holiday purchases than their American counterparts (18% versus 8%).
Jennifer Hawkins, VP of new product development for American Express Canada, commented: “With nearly 80% of Canadians participating in a rewards program, it’s clear that this group wants to get the most value for every dollar spent during the holiday season. Earning rewards when holiday gift shopping is certainly a great way to add value to every purchase.
“Our survey found that Canadians are miles ahead of their American counterparts in many reward-collecting and redeeming habits.”
Different
Canadians and Americans make their holiday purchases quite differently. The majority of Canadians will use a debit or credit card (62% and 61% respectively) to make holiday purchases while Americans prefer cash (60%). Using a rewards credit or debit card to make purchases enables Canadians to earn rewards points and miles with every dollar spent.
Canadians do not shop for holiday gifts online as often as their US counterparts (44% versus 73%), but they are nearly three times more likely to go online to shop on a loyalty/rewards site (34% versus 12%).
The survey was conducted in October 2010, leveraging the ICOM, a division of Epsilon Targeting, consumer panel. 1,006 consumers across Canada participated in the survey.