Irving Does Promotions Like it’s 1999
I saw
this sign on a gas pump last Tuesday while I was driving to Boston for the Shop.org Annual Summit. And it made me feel 10 years younger.
Even if Irving is piloting its rewards program, it shouldn’t be so 20th-century user-friendly (oxymoron) about it. Heck, barcode scanners were being used in the 20th century, and the cost to install those, and issue key fobs with barcodes on them, has to have gone down immensely since 1999.
We’re talking self-serve gas stations. Yes, they have a convenience store (and in this case, I think there was a Subway and a Dunkin Donuts inside), but most people going to a self-service gas station want to get in and out as fast as possible, not deal with bringing a receipt inside to a cashier and then wait for something to happen.
In contrast, Ahold supermarket chains Giant and Stop & Shop teamed with Shell gas stations this spring for a cross-market loyalty program. The grocery chains had been offering discounts to customers pumping gas at their own stores, and upped its loyalty program to drive customers to Shell.
And yes, you can use your loyalty card at the pump.
