The new loyalty programme could see customers earn hundreds of pounds (Image: Getty)
Marks & Spencer has unveiled a revamped Sparks loyalty scheme, promising greater personalisation, clearer rewards and more ways for shoppers to save. At the centre of the overhaul is a new digital “Sparks wallet”, allowing customers to earn cash rewards to spend across the retailer’s food, clothing, home and beauty ranges.
Shoppers will be able to use the rewards whenever they choose — from putting money towards their weekly shop to saving for bigger seasonal spending such as Christmas. M&S said the changes are designed to give customers more control over how they use rewards while boosting overall value. Sharry Cramond, marketing director of fashion, home & beauty and loyalty at M&S, said: “We are so excited to finally unveil the new Sparks – it’s a complete step change in how we reward our customers.
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The brand is offering a range of incentives (Image: Getty)
“We’ve built this around exactly what they told us they want: simple, personalised offers and real money rewards that drop straight into their very own digital Sparks Wallet to spend at M&S, however, whenever and on whatever they choose.
“Sparks now puts our customers totally in control, rewarding them for buying the products they already love and giving them the opportunity to try new things and get rewarded for it. What’s not to love!
“And while we’re transforming Sparks from the ground up, we’ve kept the much-loved treats customers told us matter to them – from free Birthday Treats and Coffee Stamps to our baby club and our longstanding charity donations – but more personal, more flexible and more rewarding than ever before. And this is just the start; there is so much more to come.”
The new Sparks programme rewards customers for how they actually shop with personalised offers and ways to earn rewards straight into their digital Sparks wallet, including:
- Earn £10 into your digital Sparks wallet when you spend £50 on Fashion, Home & Beauty
- Earn £6 into your digital Sparks wallet when you spend £30 on nightwear
- Earn £5 into your digital Sparks wallet when you spend £35 in the Foodhall
- Earn £1 into your digital Sparks wallet when you spend £10 on fresh fruit
A “buy and bundle” perk will be available, allowing customers to pick up selected items together and earn a reward. For example, customers will earn £5 into their digital Sparks Wallet when they buy a bra and knickers
Customers will also be rewarded for discovering a part of M&S they don’t usually shop. For example, customers can earn £6 into their digital Sparks Wallet when they spend £30 on bedding
M&S is also announcing the first-ever Sparks partner – joining forces with Virgin Red, Virgin’s rewards club, giving customers another way to boost their Sparks wallet.
Whether booking a holiday, hotel or experience day, members can now grow their rewards across both brands – making their money go even further on the things they enjoy. For example:
- Earn up to £130 reward into your digital Sparks wallet when you book a Virgin Atlantic Holiday.
- Earn an £80 reward into your digital Sparks wallet when you switch to Virgin Media.
- Earn an £8 reward into your digital Sparks wallet for every £100 spent at Virgin Voyages.
- Earn a £4 reward into your digital Sparks wallet on every £20 spent on Virgin Experience Days.
When combining all these awards, customers could earn as much as £255 back on their shopping.
The partnership will see customers accessing more exciting benefits across both Sparks and Virgin Red over time.
All Virgin offers are available to Sparks members with a Virgin Red account. It’s free to sign up to Virgin Red, and you can connect your account when you visit Sparks in your M&S app.
Commenting from Virgin Group, Andrea Burchett, chief loyalty officer, added: “At Virgin, we believe loyalty should make the everyday feel extraordinary. That’s why we’re partnering with M&S to make history as its first-ever Sparks partner. It’s a landmark moment for both brands, opening up new ways for customers to be rewarded across both programmes.
“Whether it’s jetting off, heading out or trying something new, those moments now go further, giving your Sparks wallet a welcome cash boost each time.”
Along with the new changes to the Sparks card, M&S will also keep the following perks:
- Free birthday treats
- Coffee Stamps: Buy six hot drinks, and the seventh is free
- The Parenthood: A baby club with 350,000 members
- Charity donations: With customers choosing from 37 charities to support, and M&S giving 1p per Sparks transaction
- Preferential rates on Travel Money across more than 50 currencies online and in-store, plus “exclusive discounts” for Sparks members on insurance policies with M&S Pet and Travel Insurance