GetGo is a fuel & convenience retailer with a strong loyalty program — it’s a big part of the reason that Couche-Tard recently agreed to acquire the business from Giant Eagle. Even with its strong program, GetGo still has an opportunity to gain more members and win more trips from current members. At the #NACSShow 2024, I sat down with Joel Hirschboeck, SVP, Fuel at GetGo, to discuss how his team navigates the rise of the uncommitted customer and creates new pathways for loyalty — and how Upside helps them do it.

How Upside + GetGo win over uncommitted customers

With more options available than ever, consumers have a lot of freedom to choose where they fill up, making it increasingly difficult for retailers to lock in customer loyalty. But the heart of GetGo’s strategy is understanding and addressing the needs of uncommitted customers.

“You can [go out with a broad-based discount to your customers] through a lot of different channels — but the ROI on those things are challenging, because the hurdle rate of talking past your existing customer base is so high,” said Joel.

By analyzing customer behaviors and segmenting its base, GetGo can develop targeted strategies to engage every type of customer, particularly those who don’t visit frequently. Upside is integral to these efforts.

“When you think about being able to talk to a subset of customers that may not be your customer yet, or are very uncommitted, the Upside program has been a huge benefit for us,” he said.

One of the most impressive results? Growth in visits and spend from its least engaged customers, with a 12x increase in visits and a 14x increase in spending.

Through Upside's personalized offers, GetGo has also converted those uncommitted customers into loyal participants in its loyalty program.

“Targeting customers [looking for value opportunities] and giving them information and an opportunity to use that value moment, we then bring them into the overall ecosystem of the myPerks program, where we can hold onto them and continue to talk to them,” Joel said.

Upside influences shopper behavior

One of the key benefits of GetGo’s partnership with Upside has been the ability to reach new customers in ways that the retailer couldn’t achieve on its own.

“What we found was working with Upside actually got us the opportunity to talk to new customers and different customers, versus us continually talking to ourselves,” said Joel. 

This partnership has allowed GetGo to engage with customers who were previously outside its reach, driving incremental growth and helping to solidify its position in the market.

By understanding customer behavior, using personalized offers, and working with a trusted partner like Upside, fuel retailers can unlock significant growth opportunities and convert occasional shoppers into loyal, repeat customers.

Watch the full video here.