Scene+ replaces AIR MILES at IGA, Sobeys, Safeway and more!

Updates:

• March 23, 2023: Scene+ program begins at Quebec.
• February 21, 2023: Announcement of the launch of Scene+ at Quebec at IGA, IGA extra, Voilà by IGA, Rachelle Béry and Les Marchés Traditions on March 23, 2023
• February 18, 2023: announcement of the end of AIR MILES at Quebec at IGA on March 22, 2023
• October 12, 2022: Scene+ launches in Ontario on November 3
• August 24, 2022: announcement of the launch of Scene+ on September 22 in Western Canada and selected stores in Ontario
• August 11, 2022: launch of Scene+ in Atlantic Canada
• June 8, 2022: announcement of the Sobeys/IGA alliance with Scene+ to the detriment of AIR MILES

It’s news that has shaken up the world of rewards programs in Canada in 2022! Scotiabank and Cineplex have announced that they are joining forces with Empire Company Limited to bring the Scene+ program to numerous grocery and drug stores across the country, including IGA, Sobeys, Safeway and many others.

Empire owns numerous grocery and drug stores in Canada:

• Sobeys
• Safeway
• Foodland
• IGA
• FreshCo
• Chalo! FreshCo
• Voilà by IGA/Sobeys/Safeway
• Needs
• Thrifty Foods
• IGA West
• Les Marchés Tradition
• Rachelle Béry
• Lawtons Drugs and Co-Op

All these grocery stores and pharmacies used to participate in the AIR MILES program. Gradually, across Canada, they replaced it with the Scene+program, the new Scotiabank program and Cineplex. The Scene+ membership card has served as an IGA/Sobeys loyalty card ever since.

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Since August 11, 2022, Scene+ has been implemented in grocery stores and pharmacies in Atlantic Canada. Since September 22, 2022, Scene+ has been introduced in Western Canada and selected businesses in Ontario.

The rollout went faster than expected in Ontario with a November 3, 2022, launch in Empire Company stores such as Sobeys and Foodland.

For Quebec, the changes took place on March 23, 2023. Therefore, it is no longer possible to collect and redeem AIR MILES miles after March 22, 2023. The Scene+ program has been officially in effect at IGA, IGA extra, Voilà par IGA, Rachelle Béry and Les Marchés Traditions since March 23, 2023.

Scene+ will also be deployed in liquor stores (Sobeys Liquor, Safeway Liquor, Thrifty Foods Liquor).

You can obtain Scene+ points by doing your grocery shopping at IGA, Les Marchés Tradition, Rachelle Béry, Sobeys by presenting your Scene+ membership card. Your Scene+ membership card serves as your IGA/Sobeys loyalty card.

Just like you did with AIR MILES.

Scene+ members will also be able to take advantage of exclusive member prices and personalized offers to earn more points.

You can also get Scene+ points at your grocery store by paying with a debit or credit card Scene+ from Scotiabank like the:

• ^{ScotiaCard®*} Scene+ debit card
• Scotiabank Passport ScotiaCard^®* Debit Card (Stop Sold)
• Scotiabank Gold American Express^® Card
• Scotiabank American Express^® Card
• Scotiabank Platinum American Express^® Card
• Scotiabank Passport™ Visa Infinite* Card
• SCENE^®^ Visa* Credit Card (including the SCENE^{®^} Visa* Credit Card for Students)
• Scotiabank Passport^TM Visa Infinite Business* Credit Card

This is what we call double-dipping. Just like you do with your AIR MILES loyalty card and your AIR MILES credit card issued by BMO or American Express.

If you store regularly at Empire Group grocery stores, it’s worthwhile having a Scene+ debit card (with a Scotiabank banking package). And above all, a Scene+ credit card offering a gas pedal for groceries.

You earn more points at Sobeys, IGA, Safeway, Foodland, FreshCo, Voilà by Sobeys, Voilà by IGA, Voilà by Safeway, Chalo! FreshCo, Thrifty Foods, IGA West, Les Marchés Tradition, Rachelle Béry and Co-Op:

• 6 points per dollar with the Scotiabank Gold American Express^® Card
• 3 points per dollar with Scotiabank American Express^® Card
• 3 points per dollar with the Scotiabank Visa Infinite Passport Card
• 2 points per dollar with the Scotiabank^® Scene+™ Visa* Card

As you can see, for this $516.07 purchase at an IGA grocery store, the Scotiabank Gold American Express^® Card earned me 3,096 points. That’s a value of nearly $31 (representing a 6% return).

Scene+ points can be used in grocery stores, pharmacies and liquor stores for the value of 1,000 Scene+ points = $10.

This means you’ll get the same rate for travel as you do for groceries! This will make life easier for those who were hesitating between Thousand Dreams and Cash Miles at AIR MILES.

The AIR MILES miles you earn at Empire Group stores are kept in your AIR MILES account. You can therefore continue to use them with other partners, such as Shell or Irving, after the implementation of the Scene+ program.

In any case, it will no longer be possible to use your Cash Miles in Empire Group stores.

As of 2021, many IGA grocery stores across the country have begun accepting American Express credit cards. In hindsight, this seems to have been planned in anticipation of this change!

We don’t expect American Express Canada to go so far as to offer one or more Scene+ credit cards in place of AIR MILES credit cards (for which no specific welcome bonus has been offered for over a year). Scotiabank already issues 3 American Express credit cards participating in the Scene+ program.

For BMO, one of the major AIR MILES partners along with Shell, there are exclusive offers for Milesopedia readers on AIR MILES credit cards:

• 3,000 AIR MILES Miles for the BMO AIR MILES World Elite Mastercard (instead of 2,000 Miles)
• 1,500 AIR MILES Miles for the BMO AIR MILES Mastercard (instead of 800 Miles)

And BMO Bank recently modified its business product with the BMO^® AIR MILES^® World Elite^®* Business Mastercard^®*.

But remember: in the past, BMO offered co-branded cards with Sobeys and IGA. These were recently withdrawn from the market. This, too, was a sign of the relationship between AIR MILES and its major partners.

It’s also worth noting that over the past two years, BMO has strengthened its proprietary BMO Rewards program with the addition of credit cards ( Eclipse Visa cards) and the recent modification of the BMO Ascend World Elite Mastercard.

These cards are designed for travellers who want to earn more points for specific expenses:

• 5x points for travel purchases with the BMO Ascend World Elite Mastercard^®*.
• 5x points for groceries with the BMO eclipse Visa Infinite* Card

BMO has also made changes to its cash back credit cards. For example, with the BMO CashBack^® World Elite^®* Mastercard^®* you get between 2% and 5% cash back on many categories of purchases:

• 5% on grocery purchases
• 4% on transit purchases
• 3% on gas and electric recharging
• 2% on recurring bill payments

Everywhere else, you’ll earn 1% cash back, including at Costco.

Changes have also been made to the BMO Cashback Mastercard, which now offers 3% cash back on groceries with no annual fee.

With all these changes to its credit cards, BMO has ensured that it has the right products for you:

• travel rewards
• cash back

An easy parallel to draw with the AIR MILES program, which offers its members the option to earn:

• Dream Miles (for travel)
• or Cash Miles (for cash rebates)

AIR MILES has been trying to refresh its brand image recently.

But at the same time, major changes were made to its Dreams program, and Jean Coutu ended the possibility of obtaining gift cards with Cash Miles. This has prompted AIR MILES members to find alternative strategies for using their miles.

Finally, the involvement of AIR MILES members in events such as the Virée de Quartier has declined due to a lack of interest in the program and the reduction in the rewards offered (to AIR MILES’ credit, the two years of COVID-19 have not helped).

Scotiabank and Cineplex have pulled off a major coup by teaming up with the Empire Group to bring the Scene+ program to hundreds of grocery and drug stores across the country. This is to combat the well-established PC Optimum program as well.

AIR MILES is clearly the big loser here. And we look forward to the redesign of the program following its purchase by BMO. This is a game-changer, given the recent departures of major players such as Lowe’s, Rona, Reno-Depôt, LCBO, IGA, Sobeys, Safeway and many others.

And the battle for loyalty programs is on, with the new MOI program from Metro, Super C, Jean Coutu, Brunet and Première Moisson.

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