Loblaw keeps the best parts

Article Excerpt

LOBLAW COMPANIES $65.33 (Toronto symbol L; Shares outstanding: 395.3 million; Market cap: $25.8 billion; TSINetwork Rating: Above Average; Dividend yield: 1.7%; www.loblaw.ca) will end its 19-year joint venture with Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce, Toronto symbol CM. That business, called President’s Choice Financial, offers no-fee banking, mortgages and other loans. Loblaw will continue to offer those customers its no-fee PC Financial Master- Card credit cards as well as home and auto insurance. The company will also continue to manage the PC Plus loyalty program, with its more than 10 million members. Loblaw will likely merge PC Plus with the popular Optimum loyalty program at Shoppers Drug Mart. By retaining PC Plus credit cards and its loyalty program, the company will keep the best sources of customer data. Retailers are increasingly using data analytics to target customers with personalized deals and marketing. For example, every week via PC Plus, Loblaw sends out millions of personalized offers (based on the individual spending patterns of customers). This entices…