Caitríona Redmond: Loyalty or low prices? How supermarket loyalty schemes compare

Regardless of the savings to be made with so-called loyalty schemes, what customers really want now is for grocery prices to come down

Caitríona Redmond: People love bagging a bargain and loyalty apps/cards lean into that feeling. Picture: Cathy Dunne

Supermarkets prize customer loyalty. Customers who have faith in the power of a retail brand to deliver savings will return week-on-week to do their shopping. Stores count on this loyalty to allow them to tweak prices in their favour. 

Staples will consistently stay the same or similar compared to competitors, but the cost of premium brands can fluctuate and here is where the margins are much more flexible.