The Road to Rewards. Fuel Savings Rank #1 as Consumers Preferred Incentive for Rewards Programs

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1 The Road to Rewards Fuel Savings Rank #1 as Consumers Preferred Incentive for Rewards Programs An Excentus consumer survey by Ipsos enation, July

2 Overview U.S. retailers and merchants face numerous options when deciding which incentives to offer their customers. A serious lack of hard data around which incentives and programs consumers prefer and which ones deliver the highest levels of activity, greatest likelihood of increased sales and deepest brand loyalty makes the decision even more difficult. Should they offer cashback programs or retailer-specific points? Instant discounts or coupons? A July 2015 nationwide survey of 1,016 U.S. consumers found that consumers prefer programs that enable them to save on the cost of gasoline/fuel more than other incentives. Why? Incentives to save on fuel enable them to save money on a household necessity, freeing up precious budget dollars to spend elsewhere. More than two-thirds, in fact, indicated a willingness to change brands, switch retailers or buy in-store rather than online in order to save anywhere from 10 cents to $1 per gallon on gasoline. This new data proves why retailers should offer programs with incentives that consumers want: a way to ease everyday expenses on an everyday commodity, fuel. 2

3 Fuel savings rank #1... As consumers preferred incentive for U.S. consumers have ranked fuel savings as their preferred type of program and list it as the incentive with which they earn and redeem most actively. These findings emerged in a recent survey of more than 1,000 consumers about based incentives, including insights into why consumers join programs, how frequently/ actively they use incentives, and how they incorporate programs into their daily budgets, brand/retailer choices and shopping patterns. More than half of Americans (54%) belong to a program that enables them to earn incentives they can redeem on the cost of gasoline/fuel. Fuel savings, in fact, emerged as #1 of all incentives among today s most common program benefits. Fuel savings Cash back on credit card Retailer/brand coupons Credit card Cash-register instant discounts Retailer-specific Airline miles Restaurant/grocer Members-only Hotel points 0 % 10 % 20 % 30 % 40 % 37 % 32 % 25 % 24 % 24 % 22 % 17 % 16 % 16 % 14 % For membership and consumer activity Activity levels are high with fuel-savings programs. When asked to rate programs in which they are most actively earning, fuel savings rank #1 at 29% -- higher than credit card cash-back programs and, instant discounts, merchant-specific, coupons, airline and hotel miles/points. And when they say active, they mean active: 46% of consumers say they earn, buy, redeem or check daily or weekly. Fuel savings Cash back on credit card Credit card Cash-register instant discounts Retailer-specific Retailer/brand coupons Restaurant/grocer Airline miles Hotel points 0 % 10 % 20 % 29 % 24 % 17 % 16 % 15 % 13 % 10 % 10 % 6 % 30 % The survey of 1,016 U.S. consumers was conducted July 10-13, 2015 by Ipsos enation on behalf of Excentus Corp. The survey has a margin of error of +/- 3.1 percentage points. 3

4 Rewards program popularity is driven by the ability to save, earn and redeem on everyday purchases The most common merchants from whom consumers earn fuel-savings encompass retailers that are part of daily shopping routines: Gasoline is a universal commodity and an unavoidable line item in most consumers budgets. What drives consumers to join fuelsavings programs? 68 % 22 % 16 % 7 % Grocery stores Retail stores Credit Cards Restaurant or dining Say the fuel incentive is offered as part of an existing loyalty program Join to save money Join because they can earn where they already shop Join to save on the costs of driving 46 % 40 % 37 % 19 % Join because the incentive is linked to a credit card 15 % I like saving money any way I can I can earn /points on everyday purchases Money saved eases the strain in my household budget I was offered an incentive to join It s my way of supporting my favorite brand Other 4

5 Key Insights Fuel savings influence millennials mobile behaviors and consumers brand and shopping preferences. The Midwest embraces fuel savings slightly more than the West, South & Northeast regions. Future updates from the Excentus-Ipsos survey will explore additional insights into the popularity of fuel-savings programs, including regional and demographic differences, and their impact on shoppers preferences and behaviors. A few highlights include: Millennials (ages 18-34) are more than twice as likely as other age groups to prefer to track their from a mobile app (33% Millennials; 16% ages 34-54; 3% ages 55+) Midwestern consumers (57%) are more likely than those in other U.S. regions to belong to a fuel-savings program, compared with 56% West, 52% South and 50% Northeast Fuel savings can influence shopping behaviors and brand preferences, based on 19% of consumers who would choose a different brand to earn cents-per-gallon on fuel, 17%- 20% who would switch retailers to earn 25 cents to $1 per-gallon on fuel, and 20% who would purchase in-store rather than online to earn cents-per-gallon on fuel. Conclusion Based on consumers responses and behaviors, retailers now have clearer data and insight into the incentives that shoppers enjoy most in and loyalty programs. Whether stand-alone or combined with other programs, the ability to save money on gasoline/fuel is a popular, frequently used and soughtafter incentive. Today s consumers enjoy the value and budget-friendly impact of fuel savings, and the regularity and frequency with which they can enjoy and redeem the they earn. Retailers and merchants can take advantage of these new findings as they create and enhance programs, especially if they are interested in more customers, more sales, more program activity and deeper customer satisfaction and loyalty. 5

6 Media and Analyst Inquiries Additional information and data from this survey is available to analysts and media professionals who cover customer loyalty, programs, consumer behaviors, the retail sector and other related topics of interest. For upcoming reports, research, articles or editorial calendars, please contact Vanessa Horwell, or call ext Upcoming reports from our business intelligence unit include: Spotlight on Millennials: What drives behavior around retailer incentives and programs. American Shopper Insights: A closer look, based on demographics and region, at consumer preferences around retailer incentives and. Excentus creates proprietary software that helps numerous loyalty and marketing programs drive down the cost of everyday commodities like gasoline. With direct-to-consumer programs like the Fuel Rewards program and fuelperks!, or through companies utilizing its Centego products and services, Excentus has helped consumers save more than $500 million at the pump since Ipsos is the world s third largest survey research firm with offices in 56 countries. In North America, Ipsos consists of 1,500 research professionals across 30 locations in the U.S. and Canada. Both the Ipsos survey invitation list and the returned data are weighted to reflect the demographic composition of the U.S. adult population. 6