As a convenience retailer, Thorntons is taking an approach to customer engagement that is commanding an increasing amount of attention. Since being started in 1971 by James Thornton, the brand has become recognized as one of the leading convenience store chains in the nation. Across six Midwestern states and throughout every one of its 198 stores, Thorntons continues to offer a customer experience that upholds its legacy as a family-owned business.
For Thorntons, this means not only offering a high quality line of food and beverages, it also means maintaining an altruistic sensibility that makes giving back to the community a top priority. This has helped the brand win a tremendous amount of customer loyalty.
In addition to supporting a variety of causes including Habitat For Humanity, the Special Olympics and various local food banks, Thorntons also gives back to its guests through fast and friendly service, a commitment to cleanliness and detail, and, of course, through a host of valuable promotions and rewards.
Both inside and outside the store, Thorntons offers a customer experience that exceeds expectations. And this has been further demonstrated by the relaunch of new program called “Swipe to Save.”
Added as an exclusive perk to the brand’s popular Refreshing Rewards loyalty program, Swipe to Save will bring more value to customers by giving them more ways to save on fuel. What’s more, the savings offered by Swipe to Save are also stackable. This means that guests will be able to purchase fuel for as little as 1¢ per gallon.
When guests purchase the specified quantity of any qualifying Swipe to Save product, they will automatically receive additional cents off their next fuel transaction. For example, when guests buy one breakfast sandwich they save 3¢ per gallon, when they buy two 14 oz Muscle Milks® they save 10¢ per gallon.
In all, Swipe to Save features 17 products that will potentially allow customers to purchase fuel for 1¢ per gallon.
Swipe to Save is just the latest way guests can save money at Thorntons. Refreshing Rewards already gives guests additional cents off on fuel when they purchase select products including fountain drinks, bottled beverages, candy, snacks and more. And perhaps the most innovative thing about the loyalty program is that it is based on visits rather than dollars spent.
Refreshing Rewards is also tremendously popular, and it’s growing. Over 1.3 million guests regularly participate in the program.