Beginning next month, members of Rite Aid's wellness+ rewards card will get something that customers at other chain drug stores cannot. They will automatically have special offers based on purchases, known as +UPs in Rite Aid jargon, loaded onto their cards.
Last January, Rite Aid became the first drug chain to give customers the option of loading both its coupons and those of manufacturers directly onto the wellness+ card.
"Since the beginning, wellness+ has differentiated itself from other loyalty programs because it uniquely combines health and wellness rewards with shopping discounts," said Ken Martindale, chief operating officer of Rite Aid, in a statement. "We're committed to not only setting but raising the bar when it comes to building customer loyalty."
Rite Aid is rolling out the program after testing it in four cities over a seven-month period.
"Customers in the pilot program overwhelmingly told us that they appreciated not having to worry about keeping their receipts and bringing them back to the store to redeem their +UPs," said Mr. Martindale. "The increased redemptions and sales in the pilot markets prove that many of our customers are taking advantage of this feature and we're excited to offer this convenience to wellness+ members across the country."
As a Wall Street Journal report points out, wellness+ is at the heart of Rite Aid's marketing efforts. The program, which launched in 2010, has 25 million active members and card usage has increased 11 percent in the past year.