Ukrop’s cuts back on gasoline savings program
Ukrop's Super Markets Inc. today said it is slashing by 50 percent the amount of savings offered in its program to help customers lower their gasoline bills.
The chain's "fuelperks!" program, which began June 30 when gasoline prices were spiraling past $3 per gallon, offered customers a 10-cent-per-gallon discount for every $50 they spent at a Ukrop's store. That reward has been reduced to 5 cents per gallon, Robert S. Ukrop, the chain's president and chief executive officer, wrote in a letter to customers today.
"This adjustment coincides with the over 50 percent reduction in the cost of fuel since we began the program and still allows fuelperks! to remain the best program in the market to save on gas," Ukrop wrote.
Ukrop said the chain would not commit to extending the fuel-savings program beyond March 28.
Thirty gasoline stations in the region are participating in the program, which limits customers to purchasing a maximum of 20 gallons at the dicounted price.
The chain said customers have saved more than $5.1 million in gasoline costs since the program was introduced.
The chain said it would use other methods to save customers money, primarily through in-store price reductions on more than 2,500 items.
"We will be nimble and thoughtful as we seek ways to bring innovative services and programs to you," Ukrop wrote.
-- Joe Macenka
Reader Reactions
Get a grip people, it ain’t a constitutional right you know. If Ukrop’s introduces and later eliminates its fuelperks program It is their business decision. Or would you prefer that Ukrops failed, closed all their stores and the already paltry choices to grocery shop in Richmond shrank even more?
The Ukrop brothers have been brilliant marketers, turning a “mom & pop” operation into a highly successful brand, and even venturing into banking, clothing, etc. However, they seem to abandon their promises when it no longer serves THEIR purposes: Remember their “no stocking shelves during store hours” promise, and their “we will never have more than three customers waiting in a check-out line” promise? (I.e., they would always open another check-out register when the fourth customer got in line.)
Granted, Ukrop’s did not have to offer their FuelPerks program to begin with, but they did. They are now requiring that I buy TWICE as many groceries to save the same amount on gas. Their claim is that gas prices have greatly fallen, which is true. However we are in the worst economic downturn in decades. Thank you Ukrop’s for being so sensitive!
I agree with Eleazar: Last week, when I filled up, Ukrop’s informed me that I saved $.50 a gallon on my 20 gallon fill-up, or $10. But I paid $.12 more than the cheapest gas price, so I really saved $8.80. Under their new program, I would save $4.40; it would take me twice as long to get to that point, and I woud have spent twice the amount in groceries. Better than nothing, but no longer the help or incentive it once was.
While I appreciated the opportunity to save some money at the pump, especially when gas prices went through the roof, what does the price of gas have to do with the amount of the Fuelperks rebate? Reducing the rebate now just makes the Ukrops look like opportunists, trading on people’s misery to increase the traffic in their stores and ultimately, the profit in their pockets. I can find lower prices elsewhere, and plan to.
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