Sunoco LP’s Pittsburgh-area fuel sites have agreed to participate in Upside’s digital marketplace to reach consumers who use the Upside app, the digital marketing company said.
The Dallas-based energy company has about 150 participating sites near Pittsburgh, Upside said. About 400 Sunoco sites were accessible through Upside’s location-based app before Tuesday’s announcement, Upside said.
“In today's volatile fuel environment, we are proud to help Sunoco customers get more value for their dollar, while also driving foot traffic to participating locations and fostering brand loyalty. We're excited to see the results of this partnership and look forward to expanding our impact in the future,” said Kevin Hart, Upside’s senior vice president of fuel.
Upside, based in Washington, has said it boosts the effectiveness of promotions delivered from its mobile app by limiting market saturation to 30% of stations in a given area.
"We believe this partnership will enable new ways for us to engage with customers digitally and offer them the convenience and value they seek," said Alison Gladwin, senior vice president of marketing at Sunoco.
The retail-tech company draws exclusivity zones around participating stations that prevent competing fuel stations from joining Upside, a spokesperson said. When customers open the app, they see the participating station, but they might not be shown all of the others in the area. This approach gives participating retailers a better shot at drawing traffic to their sites, but it also blocks consumers from seeing all the options.
The Upside app, which is free to users, offers cash back on gas and food purchases at select c-stores and fuel stations, Upside said.
The platform is so popular with retailers in some areas, Upside said It uses a waitlist system for adding partners at over 40% of its markets, which are at capacity. It works with convenience-store chains such as Casey’sand fuel stations including Phillips, Conoco and 76 branded fuel stations.
Upside’s platform generated about 4% of all gallons sold at 1,500 participating gas stations in 2022, the retail tech company said. By bringing new customers to branded fuel stations, Upside gives retailers more opportunities to convert consumers to their own loyalty programs.
Consumers can continue to use Upside along with a branded app, Upside said. Consumers using the Upside app to find a nearby fuel station pay full price at the pump, but earn cash back in their Upside accounts.