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- Earlier this year, FNB announced that some of its customers would be able to buy Shoprite’s store-baked brown loaves for a heavily subsidised 99c each.
- But the bank later said there had been “operational delays”.
- On Monday, it announced that the 99c bread offer is back on, this time with Pick n Pay.
- For more consumer news, go to News24 Consumer Lookout.
In late May, FNB announced that from July, its entry level Easy PAYU customers would be able to buy up to four of Shoprite’s store-baked brown loaves for a heavily subsidised 99c each, when swiping their bank card at the tills.
But in July the bank said that there had been “operational delays” and that as an “interim solution”, qualifying customers would be issued R15 vouchers – up to four times a month – enabling them to buy branded, packaged loaves.
From this month, the 99c bread offer is back on, this time with Pick n Pay.
FNB is not saying why Shoprite left the table, but the bank did say that in the past three months, “tens of thousands” of its Easy PAYU customers had used its R15 vouchers to buy bread at the supermarkets of their choice.
On Monday, the bank announced that its loyalty programme eBucks’ bargain bread collaboration is now happening with Pick n Pay.
It’s the identical offer – with immediate effect.
Easy PAYU customers can buy a loaf of bread every week for 99c by means of vouchers issued at the till points of all Pick n Pay stores nationwide, provided they pay for their purchases with their cards.
But FNB customers will continue to earn rewards when shopping at Checkers and Shoprite stores, the bank said.
Pick n Pay’s group CEO Sean Summers said the retailer was “delighted” to be on board, “as Pick n Pay’s ethos and values align with FNB’s in serving customers through initiatives which provide some relief during these difficult times”.
“We see the value and role that loyalty programmes, like our Smart Shopper programme, play in helping customers stretch their budgets,” Summers said, suggesting that Pick n Pay customers could use their Smart Shopper points to pay for their weekly eBucks subsidised 99c loaf.
The original deal would have had those entry-level FNB customers paying 99c for Shoprite’s 600g store-baked loaves.
Those brown loaves have been sold for R5 each for more than eight years – currently more than a million a week.
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