Canadian Tire Corp. Ltd. and Tim Hortons have joined forces to enhance their customer loyalty programs. Through this collaboration, customers who connect their Triangle and Tims Rewards accounts will earn between two to five percent in Canadian Tire money in addition to Tims points on select Tim Hortons purchases. The goal is to attract Tim Hortons customers to Canadian Tire and vice versa.
Currently, 53 percent of Triangle Rewards customers are enrolled in both loyalty programs. Canadian Tire boasts approximately 12 million Triangle Rewards members across its 1,600 locations, while Tim Hortons has eight million loyalty program users and operates 4,000 restaurants in Canada.
By merging their loyalty programs, both Triangle Rewards and Tim Hortons reward members are expected to grow, according to Darryl Jenkins, Canadian Tire’s executive vice-president and chief development officer. 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 discounts on purchases at Canadian Tire and its affiliated brands like SportChek, Mark’s, and Party City. On the other hand, Tims points can be used for buying food and beverages at Tim Hortons locations.
The collaboration between Canadian Tire and Tim Hortons arose naturally, as executives from both companies share common boards and frequently network together. The decision to explore enhancing their loyalty programs jointly was driven by the desire to provide more value to customers. However, some industry experts express concerns about the oversaturation of loyalty programs in the market and the need for simplicity and transparency in the value proposition to truly benefit customers.
The partnership was initially announced almost a year ago, with the official launch and operational details revealed recently. The interim period was dedicated to ensuring the technical aspects of the collaboration function smoothly. Notably, the launch coincides with ongoing trade tensions between the U.S. and Canada, although this timing was not intentional but rather a coincidence, as stated by Jenkins.