RETAIL
OPERATIONS
BY KEiTHREID
Relationships with major oil brands and grocers helps
keep this loyalty program in expansion mode
MAJOR LOYALTY
L
areas
where there is a lot of buzz, increasing
adoption and plenty of success stories
(though you can certainly find the opposite
as well). That is true for the independents
and for those flying a major brand flag.
While Phillips 66 has made a commitment to the
Kickback Rewards System, Chevron and Exxon Mobil
are running a private label programs using technology
provided by Dallas-based loyalty provider Excentus.
Shell participates directly with Excentus as the fuel
partner for the company's base Fuel Rewards Network
coalition program.
In general, customers accrue points at various retail
outlets in the specific network for a discount on gasoline at the pump when using the fuel partner's site. The
technology allows for an actual, physical price rollback at the pump display. For example, with Chevron
for every dollar of groceries a customer purchases,
they get a point. For every 100 points they get $0.10 off
per gallon. And at Chevron they can ultimately get up
to $0.20 off per gallon for up to 25 gallons.
The customer is prompted to swipe a loyalty card
(either FRN or the grocery partner's card) at the
dispenser or enter a phone number. If a reward is
available, the price rolls back at the pump in what is
a patented feature.
"We've been in fuel loyalty almost a decade now,"
said Brian Jefferson, general manager of Centego, a
subsidiary of Excentus focused on the company's private label programs. "We initially started out working
with some of the supermarket chains and then over the
past couple of years that has spawned off into working
with convenience stores and the major oil companies to
run their own loyalty programs or working to partner
together the supermarket chain with the fuel provider.
Basically, we provide the technology licensing—we
have a portfolio of patents that covers the cents per
gallon loyalty concept and various marketing services
to help market the program to consumers."
22
oyalty continues to Be one of those
APril 2013
NPN Magazine n www.npnweb.com
