Associated Food Stores Loyalty Program Logs Increased Basket Size, E-Coupon Use

Associated Food Stores’ (AFS) renewed loyalty program service contract with software provider Accelitec will offer new digital features to AFS members.

The partnership, which began in 2012 with loyalty services has grown into a fully digital customer experience enabling customers to earn points on every purchase, save with digital coupons, and monitor rewards online or with a mobile app.

Now a new “coupon limits” feature is slated to roll out this fall, giving retailers and vendors the ability to control limits with e-coupons, with up to five redemptions per coupon.

“We are incredibly pleased with the partnership we’ve established with Accelitec,” said Jessica Cronin, shopper marketing manager at Salt Lake City-based AFS. “We have many progressive retailers, and offering tools that allow them to take advantage of new technology helps us remain competitive. We look forward to continuing to innovate with Accelitec to deliver the best shopping experience possible to our guests.”

The program has driven increased customer retention and sales, with AFS corporate stores reporting the average basket size of rewards members is $14.75 higher than that of nonrewards customers. Further, digital coupon use continues to annually: E-coupon redemptions are up 34 percent and coupon clips are up 20 percent from 2018.

The Accelitec loyalty offering also allows customization that’s desirable to independent retailers: AFS members can offer a branded program providing unique offers and deals. Among the additional options are digital coupons, continuity programs that require action (like a digital clip), or instant offers, a mobile app and email marketing features to help AFS retailers meet shoppers’ needs.

“We are very pleased to continue our partnership with AFS and their forward-thinking marketing team,” noted Amy Iversen, director of customer experience of Bellingham, Wash.-based Accelitec. “They are consistently seeking new ways to enhance the shopping experience on behalf of their retailers, and we look forward to helping them build stronger connections with their guests through innovation.”

Other loyalty programs aimed at helping independent grocers compete with their larger counterparts have been recently introduced by Associated Supermarket Group, Associated Wholesale Grocers, and C&S Wholesale Grocers.

AFS is an independent retailer-owned warehouse that provides complete warehouse facilities and services to more than 400 grocers across the Intermountain West.