September 18, 2025

Expanding Beyond In-Store Experiences—Loyalty’s Next Growth Engine

by Erik Johnson, VP of Sales, Vroom Delivery

In an always-connected world, convenience retailers must rethink customer engagement—especially around loyalty. By expanding your engagement beyond brick-and-mortar, you can meet these expectations while strengthening loyalty during every interaction.

And that’s exactly where forward-thinking retailers are winning.

Accelerating the rise of the digital storefront

While many loyalty programs were born inside the store, digital is now the dominant frontier for convenience retailers. Online platforms are essential brand touchpoints—powering seamless ordering, real-time personalization, and frictionless checkout.

Using PDI Order Ahead and Delivery with Vroom, you can build digital storefronts that replicate the speed and simplicity of in-person shopping. Loyalty members gain the flexibility to earn and redeem rewards online—via mobile or web—whether it’s curbside pickup, scheduled delivery, or digital-only promotions.

Consider Michigan-based WESCO, one of Vroom’s earliest ecommerce clients. WESCO has become the first in the industry to offer loyalty rewards through the DoorDash marketplace. With this new integration, consumers can earn retailers’ proprietary loyalty rewards when ordering through DoorDash, and they can also sign up for those rewards programs directly from a link on the platform.

Driving incremental sales beyond the counter

Here’s your big online opportunity: Digital loyalty customers spend more. In fact, average delivery transactions made through PDI Order Ahead and Delivery are nearly six times higher than in-store purchases.

Why the boost? It’s the power of integrating trusted loyalty with compelling digital journeys—personalized promos, upsells, saved preferences, and friction-free payment—creating a stickier, satisfying customer experience.

Digital convenience engagement removes barriers:

No lines
No guesswork
No missed offers

The result? Higher-value, lower-effort transactions that increase both customer satisfaction and revenue.

Building loyalty in a hybrid world

The future of loyalty is omnichannel—merging digital and physical touchpoints into a single, seamless brand experience. Here are four steps top convenience retailers are already taking.

1. Build a comprehensive digital storefront

Highlight foodservice, beverages, tobacco, alcohol, and other top categories to maximize digital sales.

Rusty Lantern Markets, with 29 locations in the upper east coast, uses Vroom’s Automated Menu Management to bring every store item online.

“Vroom’s automation allows us to offer the broadest possible menu, cater to store selections, as well as reach new and existing order ahead and delivery customers. Platform compatibility with our Rewards App makes it easy for members to order online and take advantage of loyalty offers.”

― Jennie Dykens, Director, Brand & Marketing, Rusty Lantern Markets

2. Deliver loyalty benefits online

Launch a “Free Delivery Club” (for example, every seventh delivery is free)
Pair fuel and delivery incentives:
- Free delivery after purchasing 30 gallons of fuel
- 10¢/gal fuel discount after every fifth online order
Offer a monthly subscription for unlimited free delivery
Enable referrals with shareable digital delivery coupons

3. Drive repeat purchases with personalization

Upsell higher-margin items automatically

Cross-sell popular combos (such as pizza + soda)

Trigger win-back offers for lapsed users

Use limited-time promo codes to spark immediate action

4. Make fulfillment seamless

Offer self-checkout kiosks

Install pickup stations to skip the line

Ensure real-time inventory and accurate ETA updates

Final thoughts: loyalty without limits

As shopper expectations evolve, so must convenience stores. Retailers who leverage tools like PDI Order Ahead and Delivery with Vroom are already building lasting engagement across every channel.

After all, loyalty isn’t just about where your customers shop—it’s about how easy, personal, and rewarding you make the shopping experience, wherever it happens.

Looking to evolve your loyalty offerings to meet customer demand?

Let’s Talk