Loyalty card a consumer hit

Chain Drug Review, Jan 5, 2009

WOONSOCKET, R.I. -- ExtraCare is the largest consumer rewards program in the nation, according to a CVS Caremark Corp. spokesman, with more than 55 million cardholders.

Cardholders receive 2% of all purchases back quarterly, delivered in the form of free "CVS money" called Extra Bucks. Members receive benefits such as instant targeted offers on register receipts.

More than 10 million ExtraCare members are enrolled in CVS' e-mail alerts program, which sends coupons and information about health and beauty care directly to shoppers' in-boxes.

"The best advice for saving money without feeling the pain is to make small changes in daily activities--buying store brands instead of name-brand products, and taking advantage of rewards programs that can offer savings on everyday purchases," comments CVS Caremark director of relationship marketing John Barron.

"We designed the ExtraCare program to help make saving money easy. Most importantly, their savings can be applied to products they want and need."