Updates:
It’s news that has rocked the world of rewards programs in Canada in 2022! Scotiabank and Cineplex have announced a partnership 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 many grocery and drug stores in Canada:
All of these grocery and drug stores were participating in the AIR MILES program. Gradually, across Canada, they replaced it with Scene+, the new program from Scotiabank 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 earn Scene+ points when you store for groceries at IGA, Les Marchés Tradition, Rachelle Béry or Sobeys and present 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 earn Scene+ points at the grocery store by paying with a Scotiabank Scene+ debit or credit card such as :
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 redeemed at grocery, drug and liquor stores with the value of 1,000 Scene+ points = $10.
This way, you’ll get the same redemption rate for travel or grocery purchases! This will make life easier for those who were hesitating between Dream Miles and Cash Miles at AIR MILES.
The AIR MILES Reward Miles you have earned at Empire stores are held in your AIR MILES account. You can continue to use them with other partners, such as Shell or Irving, once the Scene+ program has been implemented.
In any case, it will no longer be possible to use your Cash Miles at 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 think American Express Canada will go so far as to offer one or more Scene+ credit cards in place of AIR MILES credit cards (for which no specific welcome bonuses have been offered for over a year). Scotiabank already issues 3 American Express credit cards participating in the Scene+ program.
For BMO, one of the significant 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. Again, this sent a signal about 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 (the Eclipse Visa cards) and the most recent modification of the BMO Ascend World Elite Mastercard®*.
These cards are designed for travellers who want to earn more points for specific purchases:
BMO has also made changes to its cash back credit cards. For example, with The BMO Ascend™ World Elite® CashBack® Mastercard®* you earn 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®*: this no-annual-fee card now offers 3% cash back on grocery purchases.
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 is left in the program as major retail partners? Shell.
And a few other smaller partners.
The focus is on the Airmilesshops.ca online shopping portal, which continues to attract new partners such as Uniqlo and The Home Depot and now has over 300 brands.
But competition is fierce in this market, with other rewards portals offering more or less the same brands: Aeroplan eBoutique and Rakuten.
AIR MILES has been trying to refresh its brand image recently.
But at the same time, significant changes were made to its Dream program and Jean Coutu ended the option of redeeming Cash Miles for Gift Cards. 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 Shop the Block has decreased significantly due to a lack of interest in the program and the decrease in the rewards offered (to AIR MILES’ credit, the two years of COVID-19 did not help).
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-Depot, 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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Starting in August 2022, Scene+ 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 Scene+ membership card, 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 earn 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 CobaltMD Card, with which you can earn 5 Membership Rewards points per dollar at any grocery store.
Find out how to get 5 times the points at many other retailers with these cards.
Savings are here:
