AMEX (Canada) Losing Shoppers Drug Mart
#1
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AMEX (Canada) Losing Shoppers Drug Mart
Mentioned briefly as only a rumor on the Air Canada Aeroplan forum, my wife and I this afternoon asked the cashier at our nearby Shoppers Drug Mart if they were no longer accepting American Express (Canada) credit cards at their location. She confirmed that after December 1, 2012, SDM will no longer accept AMEX for purchases.
Just a heads up, for those of us who use this large drugstore chain up here.
bj-21.
Just a heads up, for those of us who use this large drugstore chain up here.
bj-21.
#3
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bj-21.
#5
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This is disappointing. I usually use my Amex at Shoppers. I wonder if this will also apply to the Canada Post outlets.
I think some feedback to SDM is warranted...will look for a link on the website.
I think some feedback to SDM is warranted...will look for a link on the website.
#6
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#7
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Someone mentioned in another thread on this that SDM didn't want to upgrade the point of sale readers (where you swipe or insert your card to be read) to a newer model to enable the pin code to be punched in, but we don't know if that's the reason for the change. Perhaps it's because SDM now has it's own credit card, or the new head of SDM is formerly from a large Canadian bank, or they just don't want the points competition for their Optima card (but you could still get AMEX MR points and Optima points on the same purchase, so probably not the latter), so we're just guessing the
reasoning here.
Nevertheless, not a very customer-friendly move, IMO.
bj-21.
#8
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#9
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Doesn't that depend on the location? At Shoppers they do. At Superstore I've made the experience that they show up as Superstore (and thery don't accept Amex).
Anyway, I'm moving my drug purchases to Sobey's and most of my drugstore purchases to Sobeys or Lawtons (both awarding Airmiles as well).
I might still take advantage of milk sales at Shoppers. :-) For some reason, the Shoppers closest to my home never partakes in these milk sales.
Shoppers already lost a lot of our business when they stopped accepting Shoppers Optimum membership numbers at the checkout. You now have to present the actual card, which I refuse to carry everywhere.
Anyway, I'm moving my drug purchases to Sobey's and most of my drugstore purchases to Sobeys or Lawtons (both awarding Airmiles as well).
I might still take advantage of milk sales at Shoppers. :-) For some reason, the Shoppers closest to my home never partakes in these milk sales.
Shoppers already lost a lot of our business when they stopped accepting Shoppers Optimum membership numbers at the checkout. You now have to present the actual card, which I refuse to carry everywhere.
#10
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Never good to lose a merchant but Shoppers is an operation with really large markups so not to take Amex is just wrong. I can understand a small family restaurant or the super cheapo brands like Superstore but Shoppers? Hardly ever buy anything there so doesn't impact me personally.
#12
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Hard not to think this is an RBC-driven strategy to push their expanded Optimum retail banking and card products, and the folks at SDM just aren't smart enough to realize how much business they can lose over this.
#13
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#14
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Considering SDM stopped playing Xmas music due to customer feedback, one never knows what we can accomplish with feedback.
I sent some feedback through their website and posted to the SDM Facebook page. The ironic thing is that their social media contact denied that they would be dropping Amex....despite the fact that several employees and customers posted in the thread that they had heard Amex was being dropped.
Also agree with the above posters that SDM is among the higher priced pharmacies so should be courting the Amex customer...
I sent some feedback through their website and posted to the SDM Facebook page. The ironic thing is that their social media contact denied that they would be dropping Amex....despite the fact that several employees and customers posted in the thread that they had heard Amex was being dropped.
Also agree with the above posters that SDM is among the higher priced pharmacies so should be courting the Amex customer...
#15
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I told my GF about this and her first comment was: well I guess we're not shopping there anymore.
I'm very pleased how well she's taking to the world of points
Although we did like the double dip of Pharmaprix and Optimum points
I told my GF about this and her first comment was: well I guess we're not shopping there anymore.
I'm very pleased how well she's taking to the world of points
Although we did like the double dip of Pharmaprix and Optimum points