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

Sainsbury’s has announced major changes to its Nectar card as the supermarket aims to rival competitors’ savvy shopping schemes.

The Nectar Prices loyalty scheme has been widened to now include discounts on 300 products, including popular Heinz Baked Beans and Nescafe coffee.

As food inflation hit a record 18.2 per cent, Sainsbury’s CEO says the expanded range of offers is ‘just the beginning’ for shoppers.

The grocer has been striving to compete with rivals in various ways, including its Aldi price-match scheme, and reportedly increased prices slower than other industry stores despite the pressures of the cost-of-living crisis.

Shoppers who utilise Sainsbury’s Nectar scheme will see significant savings at the supermarket, it has emerged.

Heinz Baked Beans will be discounted by a third, now costing shoppers 95p instead of £1.40, The Sun reported. 

The price of a 200g jar of Nescafe Gold Blend will be cut by more than half, dropping from £8.10 to £4.

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

Sainsbury’s purchased Nectar in 2018. But currently discounts are only offered to customers who self-scan their items.

Following the changes, Nectar offers will now be applied when shoppers scan their Nectar card at the till – the same way that Tesco Clubcard prices are applied.

CEO Simon Roberts told the newspaper: ‘Nectar Prices will give another reason to shop with us and create confidence for shoppers.’

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

MailOnline has approached Sainsbury’s for comment. 

Sainsbury’s has announced major changes to its Nectar card as the supermarket aims to rival competitors’ savvy shopping schemes

Nectar offers will now be applied when shoppers scan their card at the till. Pictured: Self checkout tills at a Sainsbury’s supermarket in England

Changes to the Nectar scheme comes as supermarkets have been accused of using energy costs to pass on even bigger price hikes to cash-strapped shoppers struggling with soaring grocery bills.

Analysts estimate that Tesco made profits of £1.8 billion last year – down from £2.2 billion in 2021 – despite sales that are expected to have risen by about 10 per cent. 

This is partly because the grocer, which Britain’s biggest supermarket, is thought to have made less profit on each sale. 

Profit margins for retailers across the board have been squeezed by the surge in costs.

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

Meanwhile shoppers – also contending with sky-high energy bills – have increasingly tried to save money by turning to cheaper chains such as Aldi and Lidl.