Stores staff stop asking for loyalty card

ONE of Britain's biggest department stores chains has stopped asking customers for loyalty cards. Bosses at Debenhams have decided that handling Nectar cards is too time-consuming during the Christmas rush.

Staff on tills usually 'prompt' customers to produce a Nectar card, but they have been told not to do so at Christmas.

One till operator said: 'When we were training for Christmas we were told not to ask for the Nectar card and to refuse to scan it if customers offered it after the transaction.'

The news is another blow for Britain's biggest loyalty card which has suffered adverse publicity over its rewards.

A spokeswoman said: 'Debenhams supports the Nectar scheme,' but it was also essential to minimise Christmas queues.