I understand these discounts are designed to promote frequent patronage in some cases. But it can definitely piss customers off.
And yes I deliberately said normal pricing, the only study that has been done of before and after pricing once loyalty cards were introduced showed that prices are just inflated such that the loyalty card brings them back into line. Best to just shop somewhere without loyalty cards at all.
I have exactly the same thing with the £1.50 for one/£2.00 for two type offers. If I don't want two of them, the very fact that they are highlighting that they are happy to sell them at £1 each makes the £1.50 price look like a rip off, especially if they've put the single unit price in smaller text (it says to me "yes, we'll sell you just one if you really, really want - but we're charging you a massive premium for doing it). I sometimes find myself not buying the item at all as a result.
I do appreciate discounts, but don't feel entitled to them, especially if I'm a first time customer (or opted out of marketing emails). But maybe I'm an outlier and a sense of entitlement is the norm these days.