During a five-year period when overall membership growth and participation in U.S. loyalty programs has waned, Excentus—a provider of loyalty technology and marketing solutions to national and regional brands, convenience retailers, grocers and consumer packaged goods manufacturers—has achieved two major milestones: growing its Fuel Rewards® loyalty program to 10 million members and helping U.S. consumers save more than $1 billion on the cost of fuel.

“Our unique save-on-fuel currency that gives consumers the ability to earn rewards from their everyday purchases is the cornerstone of our company story and its continued growth,” said Brandon Logsdon, President and CEO of Excentus. “For the retailers and brands who participate in our program, continuous engagement from our millions of members proves the value and power of fuel savings to change customer behaviors and drive customer retention.”

The company’s achievements contrast with recently published loyalty survey data from Colloquy, which finds that membership in U.S. loyalty programs grew by only 15% in 2016—down from growth rates of 26% and 27%, respectively, in 2014 and 2012. And of the 3.8 billion individual loyalty program memberships identified in the U.S., only 46% show active participation according to the recent study.

 

Creating More Value for Consumers, Every Day

However, the Fuel Rewards® program has seen consumer membership and engagement rise since 2012—the result of flexible loyalty solutions and the program’s integration by national and regional brands in the telecom, ride-share, home improvement, travel, restaurant, grocery and financial services sectors—providing consumers even more opportunities to save on fuel.

The company’s loyalty marketing and technology solutions provide retailers with a range of options to showcase their brands to millions of active Fuel Rewards® members, including easy-to-manage promotions through affiliate marketing networks, card-linked offers, fuel currency offers, branded retail solutions or fully integrated and seamless experiences. The Fuel Rewards® program capitalizes on its robust customer relationship management (CRM) and data analytics platforms to target, segment and personalize consumer experiences for multiple campaigns across channels, retailers and brands.

Membership also rose steadily during a time when average per-gallon gas prices fluctuated from a high of $3.99 in early 2012 to as low as $1.93 in early 2016. Excentus survey data shows that 55% – 65% of consumers feel it is important to earn rewards to save on fuel, regardless of prices at the pump, with Americans purchasing fuel on average 1.2 times a week.

For Fuel Rewards® program members, collective fuel savings during the five-year period grew from $9.4 million in 2012 to $365 million in 2014 to $1 billion in August 2017.

Excentus and industry data confirm the engagement potential of the Fuel Rewards® program:

  • 75% of rewards are redeemed versus 35% redemption rates for other loyalty programs (Forrester)
  • 67% of 2017 consumers will drive five minutes out of their way to save 5 cents a gallon on fuel (NACS)
  • 37% of U.S. consumers ranked fuel savings as their preferred loyalty currency in 2015 and 2016—higher than credit card cash-back rewards (34%), retailer coupons (26%), instant discounts (23%) and airline miles (16%) (Excentus-Ipsos)
  • 26% of consumers shop more frequently at stores where they can earn rewards on fuel (Excentus-Ipsos)

 

Sharing Loyalty Expertise with National Retailers and Brands

Excentus’ Fuel Rewards® program offers consumers multiple ways to earn. Members can stack rewards from everyday purchases made at participating retailers and merchants, including more than 11,000 restaurants and online merchants. Members also can earn Instant Gold Status and at least 5-cents-per-gallon savings on fuel at 14,000 participating fuel stations nationwide.

Leveraging the company’s 20-year record of building, launching and managing loyalty programs, retailers that participate in the Fuel Rewards® program enjoy increased foot traffic and shopping frequency while consumers earn rewards on everyday purchases that can be redeemed for savings on an everyday commodity like fuel.

For more information about Excentus and the Fuel Rewards® program or to interview CEO Brandon Logsdon, please contact Vanessa Horwell at [email protected] or call 305-749-5342 ext 232.