Canadian Tire Corp. Ltd. and Tim Hortons have joined forces to enhance their customer loyalty programs. Through a newly launched partnership, customers can connect their Triangle and Tims Rewards accounts to earn between two to five percent in Canadian Tire money on select Tims purchases in addition to Tims points.
The collaboration aims to attract Tim Hortons customers to Canadian Tire and vice versa. Currently, over half of Triangle Rewards customers are enrolled in both loyalty programs. Canadian Tire boasts 12 million Triangle Rewards members and operates 1,600 locations, while Tim Hortons has eight million loyalty program users and 4,000 restaurants across Canada.
According to Darryl Jenkins, the executive vice-president and chief development officer at Canadian Tire, merging the loyalty programs will lead to growth for both Triangle Rewards and Tim Hortons reward members. The amount of Canadian Tire money earned will vary depending on the use of a Triangle credit card for payment and the type of purchase made.
Canadian Tire money can be redeemed for savings at Canadian Tire and its affiliated banners like SportChek, Mark’s, and Party City. On the other hand, Tims points can be utilized for buying food and beverages at Tim Hortons.
The partnership between the two companies evolved naturally, as executives from Canadian Tire and Tim Hortons frequently interact through shared board memberships and sponsorships of mutual events. The idea of enhancing the reach of their loyalty programs together emerged from these interactions.
However, Liza Amlani, principal and co-founder of the Retail Strategy Group, believes that this partnership may be more about gaining market share in a saturated loyalty market than enhancing customer experience. She emphasizes the importance of simplicity, transparency, and genuine rewards in loyalty programs to benefit shoppers effectively.
The partnership was initially announced almost a year ago, with the official launch occurring on Wednesday after ensuring the technical aspects of the collaboration were in place. Jenkins mentioned that the timing of the launch coincides with recent trade developments between the U.S. and Canada, though it was not planned to coincide with these events.