HASTINGS, Neb. -- Uncle Neal's, a family-owned and -operated convenience store chain in Hastings, Neb., recently announced the launch of a comprehensive customer loyalty program that offers customers ways to save money, earn points and get rewarded for purchases both in-store and at the fuel pumps.
Customers can join Uncle Neal's Rewards, which launched chainwide at the company's 10 stores in south central Nebraska in July, for free. Once customers join the program and register their Uncle Neal's loyalty card, they will start earning reward points on their very next purchase.
The proprietary loyalty program is powered by KickBack Rewards Systems.
Justin Hoff, a supervisor for the family business, said Uncle Neal's was looking for a way to keep customers coming back to the stores and gain a competitive advantage by driving business among new customers.
"We have a very loyal base of customers and we are excited to be able to give them an opportunity to earn rewards and discounts on everything from foodservice to fuel," Hoff said. "For the customers that we haven't been able to pull in off the street, we are looking to give them a strong value proposition to try and stay loyal to the Uncle Neal's brand."
The program finished rolling out to stores in July and in about 8 weeks Uncle Neal's has issued more than 13,000 loyalty cards.
"There are not a lot of companies in our market with loyalty programs so the response has been very good," Hoff said. "As the program catches on, we expect even stronger numbers."
Uncle Neal's was founded by Hoff's uncles, Neal Hoff and Craig Hoff, and his father, Jerry Hoff. The chain now also has Piccadilly Pizza in three location and its fuel brands include Cenex at eight locations and Phillips 66 at two stores.
As retailers look to drive traffic to their stores, a loyalty program can help tilt the playing field in their favor. KickBack's mission is to create value for its retailer partners during the purchase experience. In addition to increasing sales and strengthening customer relationships, KickBack's customer rewards experience yields a treasure of analytical data that will help chains of all sizes attract new business and satisfy their existing customer base.
KickBack Rewards Systems has been an innovator and leader in loyalty solutions since it was founded by retailers in 1999. Today, KickBack is a leader in loyalty marketing in the c-store, quick-service restaurant and grocery channels and has also designed effective programs for drug stores, gaming casinos, truckstops, furniture stores, clothing stores and many others.
"What makes the KickBack program innovative and unique is its comprehensive ability to analyze transaction data to help stores understand who their customers are, what they are buying, when they are buying it and calculating the right reward to bring them back again and again," said Pat Lewis, CEO of KickBack Points. "This can be instant price rollbacks at the fuel pumps, a free cup of coffee or discounts on groceries."
KickBack Rewards Systems was formed in the year 2000 as a means to help retailers compete against larger, more aggressive competitors. It was determined that through loyalty marketing, they would be able to recognize and reward their best consumers and protect their market share from attrition.
Uncle Neal's Convenience Stores operates 10 stores in South Central Nebraska. The family-owned business was founded by Neal Hoff, Jerry Hoff and Craig Hoff and is currently operated by two generations of the Hoff family. In addition to its 10 c-stores, the company operates three Piccadilly Pizza units and is partnered with Cenex and Phillips 66 for its fuel program.
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