Manitoba Liquor & Lotteries scratches off Air Miles program

Buying a bottle of booze at a Liquor Mart will soon get you no closer to paying for a vacation.

Manitoba Liquor & Lotteries Corp. announced it is flying away from being part of the Air Miles program, after almost 30 years of helping its eligible customers rack up reward points.

“We are exploring what other loyalty programs are available and whether they would be a fit for Manitoba Liquor Marts,” a MLL spokesperson said on Wednesday. “We’ll follow our usual procurement process if we decide to engage with a new provider. Until then, Manitobans can expect to continue receiving the superior service and experiences that Liquor Marts are known for.”

The spokesperson said MLL and Air Miles have been in the process of updating their partnership since Air Miles announced it is transitioning to the new name Blue Rewards, a simplified loyalty program, this summer.

“After careful consideration, we decided to part ways as our respective priorities and strategic direction have evolved differently.”

The spokesperson said Liquor Mart customers will still be able to collect Air Miles on purchases until the end of May.

An official with Air Miles could not be reached for comment.

Patrick Sojka, founder of Alberta-based Rewards Canada, which for 25 years has acted as the consumer’s voice for loyalty programs, said the change to Blue Rewards continues a transition from a loyalty card used in the beginning almost solely to accumulate points for free flights to be more diverse.

“They are adding a lot of restaurants, including Mucho Burrito and Thai Express,” Sojka said. “They say there will be a lot more coming on they haven’t revealed yet. It is a big evolution of having this program be more of a day-to-day thing. With these new partners, the restaurants, you can go when you are dining out and save.”

Other Blue Rewards partners include Porter Airlines, Fairmont hotels, Timber Mart and Pharmasave.

Sojka said he expects MLL will be looking at either joining another existing loyalty program or create one of its own.

“A lot of people are running their own programs because the technology and everything has caught up, so it is a lot cheaper,” Sojka said. “You don’t have to join the big ones like Air Miles or Aeroplan.

“It really comes down to what does a merchant want? Can they get it by having their own program or can they achieve it by spending a little more and going with the big guy?”

Meanwhile, Sojka said he was surprised MLL was even part of the Air Miles program.

“In some ways, it boggles the mind that the Manitoba Liquor Mart had Air Miles and Ontario’s (province-run liquor stores) has Aeroplan — why?” he said.

“It’s not like Alberta, where our liquor is privatized. I can see why in Alberta, where different places are competing against each other. But in the provinces still controlled by liquor control boards, I’m surprised there are these programs.”

kevin.rollason@freepress.mb.ca