I’ve never enjoyed working out. At least not going to the gym or using a treadmill or lifting weights. I do, however, like fitness classes. That’s why my two favorite types of exercise classes are definitely yoga and spin, and I love how different they are. Yoga is all about slowing down, focusing on breathing, and balance, while spin is super intense. It’s just go, go, go!

Shopping can be this way, too. There’s your hurried shopping when you just need to get in, get out, and get home. Then, there’s the kind of shopping where you slow down, relax and enjoy the hunt. While I could never pick a favorite between yoga and spin class, I can easily say my favorite shopping is the slower variety, especially when it means I get to make the most of it at stores with customer loyalty programs. For years, I was power shopping—and trying to find discounts and sales in a hurry—and in the process missing out on the real savings built-in to customer loyalty programs. That’s why today I’m here to help you slow down, breathe like you’re doing yoga, and learn more about some popular stores with customer loyalty programs (that you’ve likely been shopping at for years) and how they can save you money.

Grocery Stores with Customer Loyalty Programs

Of all the stores I’ve power shopped over the years, grocery stores are where I rush the most. In fact, I’ve even found myself heading home from yoga, feeling super at peace and relaxed, and still rushing through the grocery aisles.

That can be a problem, though, because there are tons and tons of grocery stores with customer loyalty programs. Most feature a grocery store rewards cards which you swipe at checkout and lowers your bill. If you’re not using these, you’re leaving money on the table.

There are also some larger chain grocery stores that have loyalty programs that are a bit less well known, especially if you’re always rushing through the aisles. The Walmart Savings Catcher, for example, helps loyal Walmart shoppers ensure they’re always getting the lowest possible price. With this program, you just scan your Walmart receipt after a visit, and it compares what you paid to the prices at top competitors in the area. If there’s a difference, the program rewards it back to you.

That’s just one example, though. Target, as well as regional grocery stores such as Safeway and H-E-B, also offer similar loyalty rewards. It’s just up to you to take the time to slow down and ask. Oh, and there are also ways to use third-party shopping apps to get paid to grocery shop, but more on that later!

Department Stores with Customer Loyalty Programs

It’s way easier for me to take it slow with my shopping at department stores, kind of like how it’s way easier to relax with the yoga instructor at my studio that doesn’t make us do as many of the one-legged flying poses! The wide selection and the great deals at stores like Nordstrom and Macy’s just lend themselves to a nice, leisurely stroll through the racks.

While the details vary by store, all the most common department stores, including Sears, J.C. Penney, Kohl’s, Nordstrom, Macy’s, and Saks have their own variation of a customer loyalty program. Macy’s, for example, has a program that basically ensures you get a discount on everything you buy there, while Nordstrom and Nordstrom Rack have one that gives you a gift card after you spend a certain amount. That one is also nice because it entitles you to free tailoring!

They, of course, don’t publicize them as well as the grocery stores do, but that’s okay. Because if you’ve learned anything from me today, it’s that the next time you’re out shopping, you’re going to take your time, breath like you’re in yoga, and ask the clerks at the stores about customer loyalty programs so you don’t miss out!

DIY Customer Loyalty Programs

These programs at department stores and grocery stores are all well and good, and you should definitely be using them to get deals and save money, but there’s one method I think is a cut above all the rest: making your own customer loyalty program.

It sounds impossible, I know, but you can actually do it by using an app that makes you money while you shop. There are many of these types of apps to choose from, believe it or not, and they tend to work at most (if not all) of my favorite stores. How they work is simple: they give you points for shopping activities you do anyway (think scanning barcodes for more info or buying certain products) which you trade for gift cards you can use on your next visit.

One of the best parts is that you can actually combine these apps with the other store loyalty programs

There’s seriously no better loyalty program than that. One of the best parts is that you can actually combine these apps with the other store loyalty programs I just told you about. My personal favorite is an app called Shopkick, which I like because it gives you the most opportunities to win points. In fact, with Shopkick, you get points just for walking into the store! Plus, it has a really fun social media community if you’re into Instagram of Facebook (and, these days, who isn’t?).

So, there you have it, a great list of stores with customer loyalty programs, plus a great way to augment those programs by also using one of my very favorite shopping apps. That combination approach really is key, much like the focus of my exercise routine is doing both spin class and yoga. Sure, I could stick to just one, but the benefits are even greater when I do both!

Learn how you can start getting paid to grocery shop before your next trip down the aisle. Download Shopkick’s free app and get ready to be wowed. Welcome to the fun, Shopkicker!

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