Tesco is closing its Orchard Club that gave thousands of Clubcard members freebies and vouchers
The Orchard Club gave 20,000 Tesco shoppers the chance to sample food and try other products for free
TESCO is axing its secret loyalty club that gave thousands of Clubcard members the chance to get freebies and vouchers in return for reviews of its products.
The closure will be a disappointment for 20,000 Tesco shoppers who currently take part in the Orchard Club scheme.
The scheme’s numbers were heavily restricted by the UK’s biggest supermarket, but for those who used it, the returns were generous.
One shopper told The Sun Online she had scored £90 worth of vouchers in a couple of months.
The scheme gave users vouchers to buy items which they would then review through their Orchard account.
Tesco used the data - which it said will now be deleted - to improve its products and in-store experience.
Customers will no longer be able to log into the Orchard Club website from the end of the month.
The scheme was open to Tesco Clubcard members and staff.
Instead, the supermarket plans to roll out more in-store sampling as well as expanding its offering to Tesco Clubcard members.
A spokesperson told The Sun Online: “We know the quality of our food is really important to customers so we want to provide them with more opportunities to taste it and get their feedback in person.
"That’s why we’ve taken the decision to close the Orchard at Tesco on the March 31 in favour of expanding and improving our national in-store sampling programme.
"We’ll also continue to reward our customers' loyalty through Tesco Clubcard."
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