Nectar card pilot dividing opinion

A NEW localised Nectar card pilot has met with mixed reviews from businesses in the area.

Local businesses are the first to try out a scheme which allows shoppers to collect points on their Nectar cards through a range of local services and shops.

The pilot launched on Monday (November 4), but it has not been plain sailing.

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Robert Diprose, who runs the Bognor branch of Tiempo Accessories, said so far it had been ‘very frustrating’.

The shops have had trouble with the card machines and signalling problems, which have still not been resolved.

“We’re disappointed we have not been able to get everything organised for launch day,” said Mr Diprose.

“Launch day has arrived and we are not in a position to be able to operate.”

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Tom Evans from Luxury Lawns said his business would ‘probably keep it as a pilot’. But Theresa Spencer, who runs Delightful Things R Us in Selsey, said it was so far so good: “Hopefully it will make a difference,” she said.

Andy Barnes, from Game Set and Match in Chichester, said the experience had been ‘more positive than negative’.

He said the Nectar points scheme, alongside their own loyalty scheme, was a ‘double whammy’ for customers.

The cards are usually associated with supermarket Sainsbury’s, but shoppers can collect two Nectar points per £1 spent with these businesses.

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Will Shuckburgh, Nectar managing director, said: “Chichester and Portsmouth is the first area in the UK to pilot this new way to collect points, and due to the nature of any pilot we anticipate there will be teething issues as we work to understand and accommodate the intricacies of all the different companies taking part.

“Having said this, we are very focused on making sure all our collectors and merchants have a great experience with the programme so we are working closely with Yell.com and the merchants to make sure any issues are resolved as quickly as possible.”

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