Gas drops; so does discount
Don Long / Times-Dispatch
The fuelperks! gas program has been extended until March 28, and the discount is reduced to 5 cents.
Published: January 6, 2009
Updated: January 6, 2009
In a letter to customers yesterday, Ukrop's Super Markets Inc. said it trimmed its fuelperks! discount in half and will focus attention on cutting prices at stores.
Robert S. Ukrop, president and chief executive of the grocery chain, said that based on customer comments and dropping gasoline prices, the chain is getting more aggressive with in-store discounting. The chain lowered prices on about 2,500 items, he said.
To offset the costs, it cut back on the gas-savings program.
The fuelperks! program, which began June 30 when gasoline prices were spiraling toward $4 per gallon, offered customers a 10 cent-per-gallon discount for every $50 spent at a Ukrop's store. That reward has been reduced to 5 cents per gallon and extended until at least March 28. The discount is redeemable at 30 Uppy's Convenience Stores.
Ukrop wrote in the letter that the change was made because customers have said "food costs have become a more significant part of their household budget."
The chain said customers have saved more than $5.1 million in gasoline costs since fuelperks! was introduced.
The Kroger Co. offers a per-gallon discount of 10 cents for every $100 a customer spends. The grocer recently added prescriptions to the list of items it counts toward purchases and gives 10 cents off gas purchases for every $50 spent on gift cards.
Unlike Ukrop's, Kroger customers can redeem just 10 cents per gallon off one fill-up before the end of the next month at company gas stations, regardless of how much was spent in its stores.
Ukrop's program limits customers to a maximum purchase of 20 gallons at the discounted price, but the discount can keep growing. The fuel discount must be taken within three months of the grocery purchases.
David Saunders, president of Madison + Main, which handles Uppy's brand management and its public relations, said the partnership with Ukrop's increased the convenience stores' visibility.
The chain, which has 38 stores, introduced a branding campaign that focuses on food and other merchandise inside its stores, where it has higher profit margins, Saunders said.
During the promotion, Ukrop's is paying the difference between the price at the pump and the discount.
Contact Joe Macenka at (804) 649-6331 or
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Contact Louis Llovio at (804) 649-6348 or .
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Reader Reactions
Ukrops rocks!! It is nice to be greated by the same employees each time I visit. The stores are clean and the produce and meat are by far better then you will find elsewhere, other then Whole Foods (now, that is expensive!). Kroger is filthy, the produce is rotten, the meat is grey and the employees are rude and indifferent. If it cost a bit more to be treated like a human being, I am willing to a pay it and am thankful Ukrops offers me the option.
Ukrops wasn’t the only ones to raise prices. I shop at Ukrops and Food Lion but only because either one will have what the other doesn’t or lower price than the other. When gas shot up so did food but at least Ukrops tried to help us out which is more than any other grocery store. As far as customer service, I believe only 1 or 2 times in the last 20 years of shopping at Ukrops have I had poor service. People at Ukrops go out of your way to help you unlike others. Yes I may pay to get this service but to me its worth it than to be ignored which Food Lion and Kroger are famous for doing because they would rather talk to co-workers than their customers. As far as Kroger goes, I think they are higher than Ukrops and its because Kroger offers double coupons which it has to make up for the money somehow. I am a lifetime shopper of Ukrops and will continue to do so as long as I live in the Richmond area.
For the record, I shop at Kroger and Wal Mart. I spend about $400 - $450 per month on groceries. I tend to buy a lot of the same things (pasta, milk, coffee, salad dressing, soda, chicken, beef) and Ukrop’s generally is more expensive. I comparison shop at various stores. You might save a quarter here or there at Ukrop’s on select items, but you lose that savings when you buy other things there. I have never had a problem with the products or the service at either of the grocery store chains I frequent. Like I said in my original post, and the comments are supporting it, it’s sacrilege to say anything negative about Ukrop’s in this town.
Kroger actually offers $.10 off a fill-up per $100 spent. If you spend $200 on your grocery trip, you get two discounted fill-ups at the gas station (good thru the end of the month). I agree with Rayzor, Ukrops prices have continued to increase, while the customer service has decreased. I have actually been pleasantly surprised by the increased quality of customer service I have been receiving in Kroger stores (I shop Hull St.) over the past few months.
Either rayzor is buying $1000 a week in groceries or he/she is going to the food bank in order to save $20 a week ‘cause using Kroger, Food Lion or WalMart ain’t gonna work out.
If they had been “helping the citizens” in the first place, they’d have lowered their prices long ago.
I’m not sure how long you’ve lived in Richmond Legal American, but you don’t have to live here long to realize that the Ukrop family are key players in everything that happens in this city. Check Style Weekly’s list of the most powerful people in town if you don’t believe me. Sure, they donate a ton of money to the community. It’s called a “tax write-off.“
I don’t care if people shop at Ukrop’s or not. I choose not to because of the prices. If I have to carry my own bags of groceries to my car in order to save about $20 a week on food, then I’m fine with that. You can spend your money as you like. And so will I. I just choose not to line the pockets of the Ukrop family.
Typical Richmonders! As soon as Ukrops changes its policy to “help the citizens” in another area there are several CRITICIZING PATRONS ready to pounce on this community oriented store! Ukrops has done more for Richmond’s citizens than all those OTHER STORES that offer filthy conditions to shop in, rude customer service, rotten looking produce and almost outdated meats! You only get what you pay for and if you want CHEAP please don’t let the Ukrop’s door hit you in the @ss on your way out! It is such a shame that Ukrop’s is located in a city that does not appreciate its contributions; however, the mindset of most of Richmond is ME, ME, ME! Face it Richmond, Ukrops is a business not a government run food distribution center!
The easiest way to save money on groceries is to stay away from Ukrop’s. I know that it’s sacrilege to say anything bad about Ukrop’s, but I can get anything I want or need from any other store in town at a lower price. Plus I always found it hypocritical that the stores sell cigarettes but not alcohol.
Thank god R.S.Ukrop is promising to lower food prices. Food prices there had shot-up to almost criminal levels—$8.99 for a small container of chicken salad, for example. We’ll see.
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