Marks & Spencer announces shake-up to Sparks loyalty scheme rivalling Tesco and Sainsbury

Marks & Spencer is shaking up its Sparks loyalty scheme in an attempt to save shoppers some cash. 

The retailer is trialling cheaper prices for its members over the next two weeks in 49 food halls in South Wales, the West Midlands, and the North East of England, with customers required to scan their Sparks card at the till to take advantage of the lower prices.

Currently, deals are being offered on several food lines such as seasonal favourites Barbecue Heroes and Chicken Deluxe Family Dine in. 

Shoppers with a Sparks card who visit participating stores can get a Barbecue Heroes meal deal for £10 instead of £12, while a Deluxe Family Dine-In offer is reduced to £13 - down from £15.

A spokesperson for M&S said: "In 2020 we relaunched Sparks as a digital-first loyalty scheme and in three years have almost doubled the number of Sparks members to more than 16 million - rewarding them with personalised offers, special treats, and thank you.

"We're always innovating and trialling different ways to reward members including Sparks Day Out, 12 Days of Sparks and our recent trial, Sparks Delivery Pass.

"The trials that are currently underway give every Sparks customer who shops with us at stores in these regions access to a lower price on some customer favourites."

The new initiative follows similar moves by rival supermarkets including Tesco, Sainsbury and Co-op which already offer loyalty card members cheaper prices. 

Sparks card compared to other loyalty cards 

Asda Rewards gives shoppers money back after they buy “star products” or complete spending missions. Its offers are personalised, but typically a new customer might be offered £1 back for spending £75.

The money earned goes into a "Cashpot" which can then be later exchanged into a voucher in the Asda app, to be redeemed at the till or by entering the code at the online checkout.

Tesco Clubcard members get one point for every £1 spent in-store and online or two litres on fuel from supermarket's petrol stations.

Each point is worth 1p in Tesco, but they are currently worth double the amount when converted into vouchers for Tesco’s partners. Clubcard shoppers also get cheaper prices on more than 8,000 products thanks to Clubcard Prices.

Sainsbury's Nectar customers can use their cards to collect points, either on a smartphone app or with a physical card to collect and spend points.

Customers get a minimum of one point per £1 in stores and online at Sainsbury's, plus bonus points are available on the Nectar app, via paper coupons at checkouts, or sent in the post. 

Shoppers can also get one point for every litre of fuel at Sainsbury's petrol stations. One point is worth 0.5p when shopping with Sainsbury’s.