Best TV Tonight: Loyalty Cards: Are they worth it?

Loyalty Cards: Are They Worth It? is on Channel 5 tonight at 8pm. Stream it on My5.

Alexis Conran stands apart as one of the few without a loyalty card, a fact that places him in the minority, considering that over 70% of individuals are subscribers. In the evolving landscape of loyalty cards, recent times have seen the introduction of "member-only" prices, prompting questions about their legitimacy. Alexis embarks on a journey to unravel the mysteries surrounding these cards, exploring the motivations behind supermarkets offering exclusive prices and questioning whether the promised savings are genuine.

While some individuals may feel uneasy about holding loyalty cards, Alexis discovers that, given the current economic climate, many families find themselves compelled to use these cards as a means of saving essential funds. However, the central inquiry remains: are consumers genuinely benefiting financially from these loyalty programs?

This program scrutinizes the possibility of supermarkets artificially inflating prices only to later provide discounts. Alexis delves into the supermarkets' true motivations, revealing that they are after more than just customer loyalty – they crave our data. Supermarkets entice shoppers with discounts in exchange for valuable consumer data, which has become a lucrative source of income for them. Alexis engages with those responsible for managing our data, delves into the profit-making side of it, and even communicates with regulatory bodies overseeing supermarket practices, lodging a complaint of his own.

In an unexpected turn, Alexis's journey takes him to a cancer research center, where he learns that shopping data could potentially serve as a tool for identifying changes in consumer habits that may indicate the onset of cancer. This revelation prompts a deeper consideration: is the act of freely giving away our data a small price to pay for potentially life-saving insights?

After thorough investigations, Alexis faces a personal choice: will he decide to subscribe to a loyalty program? Ultimately, the question lingers: are loyalty cards truly worth the investment?