After my grandfather’s death, my 87-year-old grandmother moved into a retirement home. She is happy there and one of the best things is the nearby Marks & Spencer food hall.
However, when I tried to sign her up for a Sparks card, so she can access any discounts and deals, we were told she needed an email and a smartphone. It no longer issues paper or cards. To my mind this is digital exclusion.
When I contacted M&S it said the decision to move Sparks online was based on customer feedback. It also said it was in an effort to reduce plastic – yet it still issues gift cards.
Other retailers offer physical cards for their loyalty schemes and this seems only fair for those who don’t have, or cannot use, a smartphone.
M&S is a standout brand, particularly for my grandmother’s generation, and I want it to consider how it might make its offers accessible to all.
SD, Rayleigh
When you contacted M&S on social media you were told, among other things, that only existing Sparks members could continue to use physical cards. The section of its website devoted to Sparks inquiries also states “we no longer issue customers with a physical Sparks card”.
However, I double checked whether it is still possible to get a card and found that (even though you were told otherwise) it is.
M&S says: “We relaunched Sparks as a digital first loyalty scheme in 2020 and, since then, it has more than doubled in size, reflecting how customers want to shop with us.
“Although most customers choose to access Sparks through their desktop or app, Sparks is available to everyone.
“Physical cards continue to be available on request from customer services and our colleagues in store are always on hand to check and activate offers.”
I put this to the test by calling up for a “relative” and M&S was happy to issue a card, provided the person was present, using a landline number and postal address.
I’m glad M&S is not excluding people like your grandmother. What I don’t understand is why, when you sought help, it didn’t shout about it.
