CHICAGO – Pittsburgh-based Giant Eagle is taking its "fuelperks!" fuel rewards program to the next level by using it to target specific shoppers. In March, the 227-store retailer ran a test in which direct-mail coupons were sent to baby-aisle shoppers, marketing manager Linda Wakim said yesterday during a presentation at the Food Marketing Institute show. The coupons offered an additional 10 cents off per gallon of fuel to those who spent $5 in the baby department. The savings were on top of the regular "fuelperks!" reward of 10 cents off per gallon given to those who spend $50 with their loyalty card at Giant Eagle or its GetGo fuel stations. The promotion marked the first time Giant Eagle gave customers extra fuelperks! for buying in a specific department other than pharmacy. The retailer plans to use similar coupon promotions to target other shopper segments. "We're using [fuelperks!] to increase customer loyalty," Wakim told SN.
