Among non-c-store loyalty members, 39% say it takes too long to earn c-store rewards, according to Intouch Insight’s 2025 Convenience Store Trends Report.
Twenty-nine percent say their go-to convenience brands don't offer one and 22% just aren't impressed by what's on the table.
The Intouch Insight report draws on 2025 consumer surveys and two mystery shop studies—one covering 10 major U.S. convenience-store brands and another spanning 32 additional brands.
According to the survey, 72% of consumers are part of a retail loyalty program, and 67% said they'd still join even if it required downloading an app.
Convenience-store apps are the digital storefront that need the same attention as a retailer’s physical storefront, Bill Bustin, head of customer success for convenience-store app platform Rovertown, St. Louis, said in April at M-Pact in Indianapolis.
Bustin outlined strategies to make a retailer’s app intuitive and user-friendly, ensuring it meets user needs and keeps them engaged.
“Use your app as a tentpole for your organization,” Bustin said. “Offer collaboration opportunities with category management, operations and human resources.”
When it comes to upselling a loyalty program, out of 1,000 convenience-store visits by Intouch Insight, the cashier failed to mention the loyalty program 65% of the time. This is better than last year, when 78% of cashiers failed to mention the loyalty program during customer interactions but still leaves room for improvement.
Loyalty programs also influence consumers shopping decisions, with 56% saying a good loyalty program sways their decision on where to shop. That could mean choosing a c-store store over a competitor or even skipping a QSR.
How can convenience retailers up their loyalty game? Some chains have had success with gamified challenges, fuel rewards and personalized offers to drive engagement, said Intouch Insight.
Gaming is now the No. 1 activity on mobile, and nearly half of U.S. mobile gamers are aged 18-34, according to Zorka Agency and LimeLight Networks. Retailers are meeting this next-gen audience where they already are—on their phones swiping for rewards in real time.
It's about habit-forming loyalty that keeps customers coming back, according to Intouch Insight. For c-store operators, this means turning loyalty into an experience by allowing customers to unlock buy-one-get-one offers, cents off per gallon, free car washes and more.
But loyalty can be fragile. According to Tillster's report, 1 in 3 diners switched their favorite restaurant in the past year, with 46% citing better food and 40% citing better value as the reason why. Convenience stores need to reinforce these standards within their loyalty programs to capture the switching customers.
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