Dive Brief:
- 7-Eleven is offering its first-ever “social promotion” — a 30-cent fuel discount that can be redeemed through June 10, according to Steven Flores, vice president of fuel pricing at 7-Eleven.
- Customers can text “FUEL30” to 711711 to get a one-time 30-cent discount on a fuel-up. The discount stacks with other fuel discounts, and can be used with the company’s fuel price lock program as well.
- As summer gets into full swing and the number of Americans planning to hit the road nears record levels, Fuel30 is one of many ways convenience stores are bringing cheaper fuel to customers.
Dive Insight:
Many fuel discounts are clearly broadcast in signs at stores or at the pump, but Fuel30 is the first time the company has offered a “social promotion,” meaning that the only way to hear about it is in social media platforms or by word of mouth, Flores said via LinkedIn message.
“We want to meet our customers where they are,” Flores said. “With a growing number of people spending time online in some media platform or another, it makes sense to start presenting offers in a digital/social environment.”
If the promotion is successful, the company will do it again, Flores said.
While customers do not need to be rewards members to access the Fuel30 discount, doing so will make it easier to stay updated on such promotions and gives customers access to more discounts that can be stacked up. For example, new 7Rewards members get 11 cents off their first 7 fill-ups, and then get daily savings of between 5 cents and 11 cents from then on. They can also lock in a fuel price, which allows them to revert the pump to that price for up to four days. The company also joins other convenience store companies in offering additional fuel discounts for holidays and other promotions.
Irving, Texas-based 7-Eleven operates, franchises and/or licenses more than 13,000 convenience stores in the U.S. and Canada.
