Dive Brief:

• EG America revamped its SmartRewards loyalty program with the help of foodservice tech firm PAR Technology, the companies announced on Tuesday.
• SmartRewards now includes perks such as membership tier programs, exclusive sweepstakes and first-to-market product launches, according to the announcement.
• Although several notable c-store chains have overhauled their rewards programs in recent years, retailers continue to lag other industries in terms of loyalty participation, which some experts have pinned on prioritizing discounts and deals over the in-store experience.

Dive Insight:

At the base of PAR’s c-store loyalty design is the ability for c-stores to build shoppers’ profiles over time while personalized offers keep those customers engaged.

EG America is one of several retailers that now uses PAR’s c-store loyalty platform, joining the likes of Murphy USA, Yesway, CEFCO, RaceTrac and Royal Farms. The Westborough, Massachusetts-based c-store retailer — which has over 1,500 locations across 30 states — anticipates its new program will boost customer engagement by 275% this year, according to the announcement.

“This relaunch represents a huge step forward for EG America and our guests,” said John Carey, president and CEO at EG America. “SmartRewards is more than a program — it’s our way of saying, ‘We see you. We value you.’”

EG America’s partnership with Par underscores the company’s ongoing investment in tech, the company said on Tuesday. In February, the retailer began using intelligent management platform Quorso, which uses artificial intelligence to develop actionable plans and processes for employees. 

“As EG America embarks on our digital transformation journey, our first milestone is the relaunch of the SmartRewards loyalty program,” said Whitney Johnson, senior vice president of marketing at EG America. “To deliver personalized value to millions of members, the new program must exceed customer’s expectations. We’ve listened to our members and built a custom program tailored to their needs.”

With fresh food a major focus for c-stores right now, retailers are especially looking to narrow the loyalty gap with restaurants. The highest-performing QSRs sign up an average of 110 new loyalty members per store each month, while leading c-store retailers only add an average of 35 new members per location each month, according to a report issued last summer by Paytronix.