Several major convenience retailers have enhanced their loyalty programs this year with new features to entice customers to join. As of last month, Coen Markets, which operates over 50 convenience stores across Pennsylvania, Ohio and West Virginia, has joined their ranks.
Coen launched its loyalty program, Club Coen, back in 2021. The program’s core features include saving members 3 cents for every gallon of fuel they purchase, as well as offering special pricing on products inside stores, Andrea Neurohr, vice president of marketing for Coen Markets, said in an interview.
Club Coen members also earn 10 points for every gallon of gas they purchase, 20 points for every $1 spent inside the store, and 40 points for every $1 spent on a fresh food item. Points are then used to get up to 25 cents off per gallon of fuel or towards “Coen Cash” — funds that can be used on anything inside the store.
Like most c-store loyalty platforms, with Club Coen “if the customer spends more, they earn more,” Neurohr said.
Last month, Coen added multiple features to its platform that not only impact how members can buy the retailer’s products, but how they interact with the brand, as well. It added members-only pricing on beverages — such as 99 cents for any size of coffee, fountain, or slush — to the program, as well as the ability to deliver personalized messages and coupons to segmented audiences.
“If you’re a Red Bull drinker, we’ll make sure you see the Red Bull deals,” Neurohr said.
With its latest updates, Coen is now working with Paytronix on its loyalty program, while its mobile app was developed by Rovertown, Neurohr, noted.
Improving personalization within loyalty programs has also been a key focus for many other convenience store chains as they revamp their programs. For instance, Arko’s updated fas Rewards app — which debuted in April — now uses a virtual wallet, dashboard and location services tool to boost personalization.
Other c-store retailers such as Parker’s, Casey’s General Stores and Mapco have also pinpointed personalized features as a focal point of their recent loyalty refreshes.
Coen isn’t stopping with its latest update. Moving forward, the company plans to treat its loyalty platform “as an evolving tool” as it tests new ways to incentivize customers to download the app and join its program, Neurhor said.
The next iteration of its loyalty program will focus on foodservice, as Coen plans to launch mobile ordering at its kitchen locations in the coming months with the help of Paytronix, she noted.
As Coen grows its rewards platform, it will continue to embrace the unknowns that come along with that process as it seeks to learn and provide what customers truly want.
“I think the exciting part is we don’t know what we don’t know,” Neurhor said.
