2024 Was a Big Year for Loyalty Upgrades
By Rachel Gignac on Dec. 10, 2024Convenience-store chains adopted new loyalty programs, revamped old programs and added features to existing platforms in 2024.
All retail sales are forecasted to increase 4% in 2024 vs. last year, but the budget growth for technology exceeds sales growth, adding pressure, according to the National Retail Federation (NRF) 2024 Retail Forecast, the Gartner Tech Investment Report and the CSP Technology Outlook Report.
What actions are convenience-store retailers taking to enhance loyalty programs to the next level? Read on to learn about some of the trends in the category throughout 2024.
Tiered Programs
Columbia, Missouri-based MFA Oil’s loyalty program is made up of four tiers based on how often a customer visits the store. Customers get points based on how much they spend on fuel or inside sales. The higher the tier, the more points they get. It’s a messaging opportunity, said Jeff Hoover, director of strategy and analytics at Paytronix, Newton, Massachusetts at CSP’s Outlook Leadership conference this year.
Altoona, Pennsylvania-based Sheetz Inc.’s loyalty platform offers three unique tiers: Fans, Friends and Freaks. Customers become Fans by registering and can upgrade to the Friends level upon reaching 1,000 loyalty points. They attain Freak status at 2,500 points.
Circle K, owned by Laval, Quebec-based Alimentation Couche-Tard, has an Inner Circle program, which offers discounts on fuel and merchandise to regular members, allowing members to upgrade to premium memberships that include more exclusive deals and early notice of new products.
Atlanta-based RaceTrac’s original app launched in 2016, and a lot has changed since then, said John Friess, RaceTrac’s senor communications manager. The chain's new loyalty initiative gives members a VIP status that offers 10 cents off per gallon for their first 40 gallons and 3 cents off per gallon on each additional gallon purchased every month. A VIP membership costs $2.49 per month. Membership also gives customers easy mobile ordering access and personalized fuel pricing.
Convenience-store retailer GetGo’s fuelperks+ customers are now part of an enhanced myPerks program allowing more ways to earn and flexibility in how perks are redeemed, the Pittsburgh-based retailer said. The revamped rewards offer cents off per gallon (up to 30 gallons), up to 20% off groceries at Giant Eagle supermarkets or the choice of dollar rewards. The new program provides “more ways to achieve Pro status, the top tier of the myPerks program that unlocks the ability to increase perks earnings by 50% across groceries, prescriptions, gas and gift cards,” the retailer said.
Mobile Gaming
Texas Born Stores (TXB), Spicewood, Texas, has added a gamification feature in its loyalty app in partnership with BrandMobile. The new gamification features allow customers to earn rewards through interactive games and challenges within the TXB loyalty app. TXB has reported an increase in daily active users.
Alon and DK, fuel suppliers for Delek Branded Wholesale, Brentwood, Tennessee, held a promotion this summer where customers could play a mobile game to win gift cards, and one player will win a new Chevrolet Camaro.
Love’s Travel Stops, Oklahoma City, is investing more than $2 million in the next five years to install gamification technology across its locations. It aims to transform the way it serves customers and engages employees. These monitors track employees’ key performance metrics in real-time, such as greet times, order processing times, the time it takes for food handoff and the number of cars that get through the drive-thru each hour.
New Program Iterations
bp, Chicago, has launched earnify, an app that expanded and replaced the BPme Rewards program. earnify users can earn points on every dollar spent at bp, Amoco and TravelCenters of America locations, both on fuel and in-store items. Users earn one point per $1 spent on fuel and two points per $1 spent on other in-store items, along with an always-on 5-cents-per-gallon (CPG) savings on fuel purchases.
About 10 years ago, Fort Worth, Texas-based Yesway launched a dual modality rewards program with both physical and digital accounts under one brand. When Yesway acquired Allsup’s, the rewards program evolved to its second iteration to incorporate the new brand. In 2024, the combined brand evolved to its third iteration. Digitalizing the program has allowed Yesway and Allsup’s to cut out the friction of signing up. Instead, it identifies the phone number to more quickly get information and data on customers.
Stinker Stores, Boise, Idaho, debuted the second generation of its app in September, highlighted by two big additions: the ability of customers to earn points for purchases and to place mobile orders for pickup or delivery. The chain partnered with loyalty solution provider Punchh to enhance its customer experience, drive customer loyalty and measure loyalty return on investment.
Maverik, Salt Lake City, has revamped Kum & Go’s &Rewards loyalty program following its acquisition of the convenience-store chain in April. The changes include a new app and website design for Kum & Go. Customers can receive two cents off every gallon of gas, digital punch cards, deals and more.
After nearly three years operating an app manufactured by another company, Yatco, a convenience-store chain based in Marlborough, Massachusetts, recognized the need for greater flexibility and customization. Yatco launched a new mobile app in partnership with Rovertown in September. The employee hub, makes it easier for staff to access perks and serves as a direct line of communication, helping to build corporate culture, disseminate timely news and alert staff to opportunities for continued advancement within the company.
Smith Oil Co., New Cumberland, West Virginia, expanded its app in March to include a loyalty program, which includes exclusive offers, a convenience-store locator, digital receipts and more. The addition of digital stamp cards allows customers to earn a free item after purchasing a certain number of identical items. Cleveland-based Liquid Barcodes developed the application on its Liquid Barcodes C-Store Pay technology platform.
Sampson Bladen Oil Co., which operates Han-Dee Hugo's convenience stores and is based in Clinton, North Carolina, also partnered with Liquid Barcodes for its full-service loyalty platform and car-wash subscription platform. The new mobile app, developed in collaboration with Rovertown and Verifone’s point-of-sale (POS) system, will offer customers a loyalty program including digital stamp cards, a store locator map, rewards and perks for birthdays, friend referrals, gamification and more.
Other New Loyalty Programs
Convenience-store chain Weigel’s launched MyWeigel’s Employee Rewards Program. The loyalty program offers discounts on gas and food; sweepstakes; discounts around town, where employees can access discounts at select local businesses; a weekly free item from a vendor every week throughout the summer; and more.
True North Energy, Brecksville, Ohio, has launched a new truerewards loyalty program and mobile app with technology provider PDI Technologies. Built on the Rovertown app platform, the app includes several innovative features—including an integration with Shell Fuel Rewards. Members of Shell Fuel Rewards can link their account within the app, unlocking stackable savings of at least 10 cents per gallon on everyday fillups.
Jump Start Stores, Wichita, Kansas, partnered with Dover Fueling Solutions (DFS) on its newly launched DX Rewards, a loyalty offering available through the DFS Anthem UX platform-based dispensers. DX Rewards integrates with retailers' existing providers and programs to offer a personalized, app-like experience at the pump. Loyalty members can access personalized offers, redeem rewards and even play games to earn additional points.