Updates:
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:
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:
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:
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:
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:
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:
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:
An easy parallel to draw with the AIR MILES program, which offers its members the option to earn:
AIR MILES is now in a very uncomfortable position:
What are the major retail partners left in the program? Shell.
And a few other smaller partners.
The emphasis is on the Airmilesshops.ca online shopping portal, which continues to attract new partners such as Uniqlo and The Home Depot, and now boasts over 300 brands.
But competition is fierce in this market, with other rewards portals offering much the same brands: Aeroplan eStore and Rakuten.
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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Interested in the Scene+ program? Check out these Scene+ credit card offers:
Starting in August 2022, Scene+ program members will be able to earn points at Empire branches in Atlantic Canada, followed by Western Canada, Ontario and Quebec on March 23, 2023. The Scene+ membership card becomes the IGA/Sobeys loyalty card.
IGA’s loyalty card is the Scene+ membership card.
You can earn Scene+ points at Empire branches in two ways: by presenting your membership card Scene+, by earning points through promotions and by paying for purchases with a Scotiabank debit or credit card participating in the Scene+ program. Your Scene+ membership card serves as your IGA/Sobeys loyalty card.
You can earn more points when you pay for purchases at participating Empire branches with a Scotiabank Scene+ debit or credit card and present your Scene+ membership card.
In 2023, Scene+ is available at all Sobeys, Safeway, Foodland, Co-op, FreshCo, Chalo! FreshCo, Thrifty Foods, IGA, Rachelle Béry, Les Marchés Tradition, Voilà by Sobeys, Voilà by Safeway and Voilà by IGA, as well as Needs convenience stores.
The Scene+ membership card serves as your IGA/Sobeys loyalty card.
Scene+ is available in pharmacies at Lawtons Drugs, Sobeys, Safeway, Foodland, Thrifty Foods, FreshCo and Chalo! FreshCo.
Scene+ is available at Sobeys, Safeway and Thrifty Foods wine and spirits stores in Western Canada.
With the Scotiabank Gold American Express® Card, you get 5 Scene+ points per dollar at all grocery stores. and 6 points per dollar 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.
The same goes for the American Express Cobalt® Cardwith which you can earn 5 Membership Rewards points per dollar at any grocery store.
Find out how to earn 5 times the points in many other shops with these cards.
Savings are here:
