Dive Brief:
- Road Ranger is bringing cash-back offers from retail technology company Upside to 33 of its 47 travel centers in the Midwest, according to an emailed press release on Wednesday.
- Upside’s platform sends these offers to its more than 30 million app users, specifically targeting those who are nearby and who have not visited a specific member site, or those who visit only rarely.
- Road Ranger joins a number of other c-store chains that have partnered with Upside, including Casey’s General Stores, Circle K, Speedway, Kum & Go and Stinker Stores.
Dive Insight:
Road Ranger, which expects to expand from 47 to 53 sites by the end of the year, hopes to bring a new crop of customers to its existing locations through the partnership — especially commuters or recreational drivers.
“As Road Ranger continues to evolve and expand our fuel network, we wanted to ensure we continue to not only catering to the professional drivers, but to the traditional auto driver as well,” said Ryan Arnold, Road Ranger’s vice president of marketing, in a statement.
Upside’s software looks at customer spending patterns, on-site and market research and other consumer behavior data sources to generate the offers it sends to users. To help ensure it’s not oversaturating a market, only 30% of gas stations in any one area can use Upside.
The offers from Upside are personalized to the user and designed to offer a deal while still being profitable for the location.
Schaumburg, Illinois-based Road Ranger is the fourth-largest travel center chain in the U.S., with locations along highways in Illinois, Texas, Indiana, Wisconsin, Missouri, Arkansas and Iowa. It offers numerous amenities for both professional drivers and everyday travelers, including dog parks and partnerships with a number of QSRs, including Ranger Kitchen, Wendy’s, Subway, McDonald's and Burger King.
