Loyalty Programs Continue to Play Pivotal Role in Retailers' Success

Global report provides valuable insights into shopper preferences during pandemic that will drive traffic, increase revenue and improve retention

ATLANTA--(BUSINESS WIRE)--PDI (www.pdisoftware.com), a leader in global solutions for the convenience retail and petroleum wholesale markets, today released findings from their 2020 C-Store Shopper Report providing insights into how consumer habits are shifting with c-store shoppers amid the backdrop of a global pandemic.

The findings provide a global perspective from 450 convenience retailers across several countries, including responses from 2,500 U.S. consumers and 150 decision-makers who work for retailers, grocers, and CPG brands.

Key findings from the survey include:

• U.S. and Non-U.S. convenience retailers placed customer retention at the top of their list of current business necessities (U.S. 16%, Non-U.S. 18%).
• Retailers are increasing focus on customer experience as a means to increase revenue. U.S. (66%) and Non-U.S. (74%) convenience store retailers claim they plan to improve the customer experience after the pandemic subsides.
• More c-store loyalty members (40%) said they currently use their mobile app to track and redeem rewards than all loyalty members (37%).

"Effective loyalty programs utilize data to profitably change consumer behavior. Due to the pandemic and other market forces, consumer habits have shifted, and data from loyalty programs are more critical than ever to stay ahead and adapt to evolving consumer trends," says Brandon Logsdon, president and general manager, Marketing Cloud and Fuel Pricing Solutions, PDI.

COVID-19 has also created a significant impact on the way consumers pay now, and likely, for the foreseeable future. Nearly three out of ten U.S. and Non-U.S. convenience retailers experienced changes in purchase and payment trends like increased contactless and mobile payment, as well as curbside pickup or home delivery.

Download the full report here.

About PDI

Professional Datasolutions, Inc. (PDI) helps convenience retailers and petroleum wholesalers thrive through digital transformation and enterprise software that enables them to grow topline revenue, optimize operations and unify their business across the entire value chain. Over 1,500 customers in more than 200,000 locations worldwide count on our leading ERP, logistics, fuel pricing and marketing cloud solutions to provide insights that increase volume, margin and customer loyalty. PDI owns and operates the Fuel Rewards® loyalty program that is consistently ranked as a top-performing fuel savings program year after year. For more than 35 years, our comprehensive suite of solutions and unmatched expertise have helped customers of any size reimagine their enterprise and deliver exceptional customer experiences. For more information about PDI, visit www.pdisoftware.com.