Foodstuffs has announced a significant shift in its retail strategy with the launch of a new loyalty scheme across supermarkets, aiming to consolidate its rewards footprint across its major banners. The new programme, branded as Club+, is set to roll out officially on June 15, marking a departure from the existing, brand-specific loyalty models that have defined the co-operative’s customer engagement for years.
The transition arrives as New Zealand’s grocery landscape faces heightened scrutiny and shifting consumer behaviors. Foodstuffs North Island and Foodstuffs South Island intend for the new scheme to better align with the reality that, according to acting chief customer officer Brendon Lawry, more than three-quarters of shoppers frequently visit more than one supermarket chain. By introducing a unified system, the co-operative hopes to capture that cross-banner traffic through a more fluid, digital-first experience.
For millions of shoppers across the country, this means the familiar New World Clubcard—a staple of the brand’s loyalty ecosystem—is on its way out. The change is not merely a rebranding exercise but a fundamental change in how rewards are accrued and redeemed, with sign-ups for the new platform opening today.
How the Club+ ecosystem works
The structure of the new loyalty programme is segmented by the specific market positioning of the three brands involved: New World, Pak’n’Save, and Four Square. While the scheme is unified under the Club+ banner, the mechanics of earning rewards vary significantly depending on where a customer chooses to shop.
Shoppers at New World and Four Square will be the primary earners within this system. Under the new rules, customers will accrue Club+ Dollars at a rate of 0.75% for every dollar spent at New World, and 0.38% at Four Square. These digital rewards are designed to be portable, allowing customers to spend their accumulated balance at any of the three participating banners, including Pak’n’Save.
The exclusion of Pak’n’Save from the “earn” component of the programme is a strategic decision intended to maintain the brand’s identity as a low-cost, warehouse-style supermarket. Foodstuffs representatives have indicated that they want to preserve the integrity of Pak’n’Save’s pricing model rather than layering a traditional, points-based rewards system on top of it. Instead, Pak’n’Save customers will retain access to fuel discounts and targeted deals, while gaining the utility of being able to spend rewards earned elsewhere at the checkout.
Club+ will be available digitally through the Club+, New World, and Pak’n’Save apps. While the digital-first approach is central to the launch, the company has confirmed that physical cards will remain an option for those who prefer them. The integration of shopping history and existing account preferences is expected to be seamless for current New World Clubcard holders, whose balances will be carried over to the new system.
Key dates and the end of the Clubcard
The transition period is relatively short, with a clear deadline for the retirement of the legacy system. The New World Clubcard will remain operational until July 26, after which it will be phased out entirely. Customers are being encouraged to sign up for the new programme early to ensure their data and any existing rewards balances are migrated without disruption.
| Feature | New World/Four Square | Pak’n’Save |
|---|---|---|
| Earn Rewards | Yes (0.75% / 0.38%) | No |
| Redeem Rewards | Yes | Yes |
| Fuel Discounts | Yes | Yes |
| Digital Access | Yes | Yes |
This consolidation reflects a broader trend in the retail sector toward “ecosystem loyalty,” where brands attempt to lock in customer spending by creating friction-free paths between their various subsidiary outlets. By allowing a customer to shop for pantry staples at a discount warehouse and then use rewards earned at a premium deli, Foodstuffs is attempting to keep its customer base within its own corporate orbit rather than losing them to competitors.
What this means for the average shopper
For the average household, the impact of the change will likely be felt in the convenience of a single digital wallet. However, those who rely heavily on specific, localized loyalty promotions may need to adjust to the new “Club+ Picks” system. These personalized offers are intended to replace the more static rewards of the past, using data-driven insights to tailor discounts to individual shopping habits.
The success of the programme will ultimately depend on adoption rates. Transitioning millions of users from a long-standing physical card system to a digital-first platform is a significant logistical undertaking. The company has invested in technical infrastructure to ensure that the transition of shopping history—which is often used to personalize these very types of offers—is handled with transparency.
As with all financial and rewards-based programmes, consumers should be mindful of how their data is being used for personalization. Foodstuffs has noted that the programme is designed to reflect “changing shopping habits,” which implies a high degree of data collection regarding where and when customers choose to shop. Readers are encouraged to review the updated privacy policies associated with the Club+ app before finalizing their registration.
The next major checkpoint for this rollout is the official activation of the programme on June 15. Following this date, we expect further reporting on the stability of the digital integration and how the “Club+ Picks” system performs in its first month of operation. We invite our readers to share their experiences with the new system as it goes live across the country.
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