Upside Partners with Associated Wholesale Grocers, Inc. to Unlock New Profit Generation Opportunities for Its Members

 WASHINGTON, D.C., October 31, 2023 –– In a significant stride within the grocery retail sector, Upside announced its partnership with Associated Wholesale Grocers, Inc. (AWG) — the nation's largest cooperative food wholesaler to independently owned supermarkets, serving 1,100 member companies and more than 3,400 locations throughout 31 states from nine wholesale divisions. The partnership will open up new opportunities for profit generation for AWG members and further expand Upside's rapidly growing network of 100,000 retailers nationwide. 

“Grocers across the nation are actively seeking innovative avenues to boost profits while catering to the preferences of their customer base,” shared Stacy Bowen, VP Sales, Support & Solutions at AWG. “Our collaboration with Upside helps to fulfill our mission to our member-retailers by equipping them with a diverse spectrum of vital resources, offerings and solutions to excel competitively in their markets.”

Consumers are looking for value in this high inflationary period, with a staggering 77% of survey respondents indicating that they engage in price shopping when purchasing groceries. Upside's personalized promotions not only draw in new shoppers but also lead to 10% larger baskets, 1.7 times more visits than the average customer and 1.9 times higher spending compared to the average customer.

"Changing consumer behaviors — including cross-shopping, heightened price sensitivity, and a pursuit of value — are making it all the more challenging to grow market share," explained Tyler Renaghan, Vice President of Retail at Upside. "While loyalty programs remain crucial and indispensable for customer retention, Upside is proud to boost their impact by bringing new and lapsed customers into the fold.”

Upside’s platform of personalized, profitable promotions reach customers when they’re deciding where to buy — long before the point-of-sale — and offer them the right incentive to shop with partners instead of their competitors. In July, Upside achieved a substantial milestone by exceeding $1 billion in new, incremental profit for its retail partners. This achievement not only highlights Upside's success in generating additional profit for retailers that have joined its platform but also underscores the value that retailers would have lost to their competitors without Upside.

Upside is live at nearly 100,000 U.S. grocery stores, restaurants, gas stations and convenience stores nationwide, and over 30 million consumers have access to Upside’s promotions through its app and partner apps.

To learn more about Upside or the benefits of being a first-mover in the market, visit upside.com/for-people/grocery.

About Upside

‍Upside is a technology company that increases the financial power of people and retailers in the real world. Our technology has helped millions of people get more purchasing power on the things they need, and tens of thousands of brick-and-mortar retailers earn measurable profit. Billions of dollars in commerce run through the Upside platform every year, and that value goes directly back to our retailers, the consumers they serve, and towards important sustainability initiatives. For more: www.upside.com.