Canadian Tire Corp. Ltd. and Tim Hortons have joined forces to enhance their customer engagement through a collaboration of their loyalty programs. By linking their Triangle and Tims Rewards accounts, customers can now earn additional Canadian Tire money, ranging from two to five percent, on select Tims purchases along with Tims points.
This strategic partnership aims to attract Tim Hortons customers to Canadian Tire and vice versa. Currently, 53 percent of Triangle Rewards customers are dual members of both loyalty programs. Canadian Tire boasts 12 million Triangle Rewards members across 1,600 locations under its banners, while Tim Hortons serves eight million loyalty program users through its 4,000 Canadian restaurants.
Darryl Jenkins, Canadian Tire’s executive vice-president and chief development officer, highlighted the growth potential for both loyalty programs by uniting them. The amount of Canadian Tire money earned depends on the payment method used, such as a Triangle credit card, and the type of purchase made.
Canadian Tire money can be redeemed for savings at its various retail outlets, including SportChek, Mark’s, and Party City, while Tims points are redeemable for food and beverages at Tim Hortons locations.
The collaboration between the two companies emerged naturally, as executives from Canadian Tire and Tim Hortons frequently interact through shared board memberships and sponsorships of mutual events. The decision to explore enhancing their loyalty programs together was fueled by the desire to provide added value to customers.
Liza Amlani, principal and co-founder of the Retail Strategy Group, raised concerns about the complexity of managing multiple loyalty programs in a saturated market. She emphasized the importance of simplicity, transparency, and genuine rewards to ensure that the partnership benefits customers as much as the brands involved.
The announcement of the partnership was made almost a year ago, with the official launch occurring on Wednesday after a year of refining the technical aspects of the collaboration. Jenkins noted the coincidental timing of the launch amidst trade tensions between the U.S. and Canada, emphasizing that the partnership was not strategically planned in response to these events.