The one complaint that I hear over and over about the new Walgreens Rewards system is that the points do not equate in value to those that others in the country receive in Register Rewards. Basically, for every 400 points you earn, you get $1 in coupon value — but must accrue 2000 points before you can redeem them for a $5 off coupon.
Often times, we would see people in other areas of the country receiving $5 in Register Rewards and the value of our points was only $2 or so. I understand (and agree) that this is very frustrating.
Given what I had seen in the past, I was quite shocked to notice this weekend that it appears Walgreens is somewhat listening to the concerns raised by it’s customers. Did you notice photo in this week’s ad:
If you do not live in the Test Market, your deal this week is $2 Register Reward when you purchase Scunci and $3 in Register Rewards when you purchase Tone Body Wash. If you live in a test market, this week they are making sure you get the same reward. In fact, they pointed it out to you in the ad.
Of course, the points system still is NOT as good as a Register Reward. If you receive Register Rewards for Tone Body wash at your store, you know that when you redeem a coupon, you STILL receive the full value of your Register Reward. However, if you reside If you receive points, the points you receive is reduced by the value of the coupon, meaning you still will not receive the same value as you would if you could get a RR. Let me explain this to you through these examples:
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Purchase Tone Body Wash without a coupon: Pay $3.99 and earn 40x points (3.00*40 = 1200). Since 400 points = $1, you have earned $3.
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Purchase Tone Body Wash with a $2/1 coupon: Pay $1.99 and earn 40x points (1.00*40 = 400). Since 400 points = $1, you have earned only $1.
So, is Walgreens listening to your concerns? I think they are trying, but they are still falling short. If you live in a “regular” shopping region, you are not penalized for using your coupons. But, using coupons in the Test Market reduces the amount you spend, thus reducing the points you will earn for your purchase.
Is there anything that you can do? Of course! You can still speak up via email or phone. You can let Walgreens to let them know that they are getting close, but still have a ways to go. If you do not live in a Test Market, you may want to say something as well as it appears that Walgreens is still on track to release the program nationwide by the end of 2011/beginning of 2012. That means you will have these same issues coming up at your local store.