At least 10,000 customers are utilising Nakumatt’s ‘CyberCash’, a shopping smart card that comes with benefits. With the provision of the Smart Card customers accumulate points on every item purchased from the Nakumatt Super Market in Kigali City. As the customer accumulate points on the card they become more eligible for reward.

Nakumatt Holdings from Kenya, the owners of the Nakumatt brand opened their subsidiary in Kigali in September last year.

In an interview with the Business Times on Wednesday, Patrick Karanja ,a customer service officer in charge of the service said that the Rwandan market was steadily picking up through the use of the Smart Card, even though the immediate response to Smart Card was slow.

"It was difficult at the beginning because some people thought we were charging a fee to get the card. Others confuse it with a VISA card from the bank,” he said.

Karanja explained that the acquisition of the shopping card is free because the service is part of the customer loyalty rewarding programme of the shopping store. Every item purchased above frw. 1000 earns the buyer one point on the card.

"The card is very easy to use the cashier records every shopping done on the card. Immediately this earns the customer some points. Rewards are given according to the total number of points on the card. Though there is no maximum, the higher the points the more rewards,” Karanja.

The Smart Card rewards include; gift vouchers, discounts on all goods and services, special festive period gifts including dinners. Rewards are equivalent to the points gained on the card. 

The first rewarding exercise was done in November last year, where some customers with relatively high points on their cards were awarded 50 per cent discount on some items. According to Karanja, the Smart Card works across the border in the entire sister Nakumatt shopping outlets.

"Customers should take advantage of this because the service extends to all our branches outside the country.  Instead of pointless shopping, using the card is better it helps them payless sometimes,”

He also revealed that the supermarket is working on partnering with other businesses around town such that customers can get discount after purchasing their products.

Nakumatt Holdings is also set to open a branch in Kampala early this month while it will also open a branch in Tanzania by the end of the year.  

Ends