Kwik Trip is reporting it has restored full access to many of its internal systems after a systemwide outage, including having no internet at any stores, began on Oct. 9, affecting the chain's loyalty program and other functions.
“While we are still experiencing an outage to the Kwik Rewards Program, our retail and customer-facing systems are not impacted,” the company said in a statement posted on social media. “Our payment card processing system remains secure and unaffected. Throughout this period, our ability to accept credit and debit card payments was not impacted, which remains true across all of our locations. For the systems that remain down, we anticipate that functionality will be restored in the coming days. We will update this communication as they become available. We want to extend our sincere gratitude to our guests who have shown patience and understanding. We are also very grateful for the efforts of our coworkers for their attention to resolving this matter as quickly as possible.”
Kwik Trip said in the statement it has been working “tirelessly” since the outage began.
- Kwik Trip is No. 11 on CSP’s 2023 Top 202 ranking of convenience store chains by store count.
In the frequently asked questions portion of the statement, La Crosse, Wisconsin-based Kwik Trip said it is investigating the incident with third-party information security experts to determine if loyalty customers’ personal data was exposed. “As of now, we do not have any evidence that anyone’s personal or confidential information has been acquired by an unauthorized party.”
The company also said it currently cannot offer a definitive timeline on when the investigation will be completed. “We hope to wrap up the investigation in the coming days,” Kwik Trip said.
Regarding customers receiving credit for Kwik Rewards transactions, the company said that while the loyalty program is still off line, members should continue swiping their cards, “as those purchases will be tracked and awarded once Kwik Rewards is back up and running. More information will be provided in the coming days in regard to rewards that may have been missed during the outage.”
Kwik Trip also said the Kwik Reward Plus credit and debit cards are working at stores. Updates on the Kwik Rewards Plus cards will be provided in the coming days. “Members can expect their in-store/fuel discount to be awarded in the form of a statement credit when systems are fully restored,” Kwik Trip said.
Finally, regarding Kwik Rewards Plus credit payments that were due during the outage, the company said, “We will work with you in resolving and correcting any potential late penalties assessed by Kwik Trip as soon as Kwik Rewards comes back on line.
Kwik Trip has about 800 locations under the Kwik Trip and Kwik Star flags. One of the biggest independently held c-store chains in the country, it serves customers in Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, South Dakota and Wisconsin. It produces more than 80% of the products sold in its stores, supplied by its own bakery, commissary, dairy and distribution center.
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