United Dairy Farmers (UDF), a Cincinnati, Ohio-based convenience store chain established in 1940, operates approximately 200 stores and employs about 3,000 people. The company has developed a loyalty program called U-Drive Plus, which includes various promotional offers and rewards for its members. According to available information, the program features multiple components designed to provide value to shoppers, including freebies, discounts, and fuel savings opportunities.
The U-Drive Plus rewards program underwent updates beginning April 1, introducing new features to enhance member benefits. The program has received recognition for its quality, having been rated as the highest among gas station rewards plans in a 2023 survey conducted by Newsweek and data research company Statista. The loyalty program has won numerous awards and is featured on the company's highly rated app. Over the past several years, UDF has implemented several updates to its rewards program, including the addition of a signature fuel price lock feature in 2018, a refresh of its general technology platform in 2021, and the implementation of a text messaging outreach service with guest engagement company Movibity in 2022.
Program Structure and Freebies
The U-Drive Plus program offers Wednesday freebies as one of its key promotional components. These weekly free items represent a consistent opportunity for members to receive no-cost products. The program also provides discounts on many in-store items, allowing members to save across various product categories.
A distinctive feature of the U-Drive Plus program is its stackable savings offer, which covers gasoline as well as snacks, fresh food, and other categories. This system enables shoppers to accumulate savings across different product categories and apply them when filling up at the pump. The chain has added more ways to stack fuel discounts through in-store purchases, creating additional value for members who shop at UDF locations.
VIP App Deals and New Features
The most recent update to U-Drive Plus includes "VIP app deals," which offer members access to buy one, get one free deals and discount bundles. These deals provide members with opportunities to receive free items through promotional offers and bundled savings. The VIP app deals represent an expansion of the program's freebie offerings beyond the existing Wednesday freebies.
The program's technology platform, which was refreshed in 2021, supports these app-based deals and enables members to access offers through the company's highly rated mobile application. The text messaging outreach service implemented in 2022 further enhances communication of freebies and promotional opportunities to program participants.
Fuel Price Lock and Savings Applications
UDF's signature fuel price lock, added to the program in 2018, allows members to secure fuel prices at a locked-in rate. This feature, combined with the stackable savings across categories, creates opportunities for members to maximize their savings on gasoline purchases. The ability to apply accumulated savings at the pump represents a practical benefit that extends beyond traditional in-store discounts.
The program's approach to fuel discounts through in-store purchases demonstrates how UDF integrates its convenience store offerings with fuel services, creating a comprehensive loyalty experience that spans multiple aspects of the customer's shopping journey.
Business Context and Store Operations
United Dairy Farmers operates as a diversified business with multiple units beyond its convenience store operations. The company's business units include c-stores, wholesale ice cream, manufacturing, commercial baking, real estate, warehousing, transportation, and petroleum transportation. This vertical integration likely supports the company's ability to offer competitive pricing and unique promotional opportunities through its loyalty program.
The company's long history, dating back to its establishment in 1940, and its regional presence with approximately 200 stores in the Cincinnati area, provides a foundation for its loyalty program development. The program's success and continuous improvement reflect UDF's commitment to enhancing customer relationships through value-added services and promotional offerings.
Program Recognition and Industry Context
The U-Drive Plus program's recognition as the highest-rated gas station rewards plan in 2023 indicates its effectiveness in meeting customer needs within the convenience store and fuel retail sector. This rating came from a survey conducted by Newsweek and Statista, providing third-party validation of the program's quality.
The program's development occurs within a broader industry context where loyalty programs at many convenience stores have lagged behind those found in other retail channels. However, UDF has distinguished itself through continual improvements to its rewards program, app functionality, and member benefits. The program's evolution through multiple updates demonstrates a commitment to maintaining competitive offerings in the convenience store loyalty program landscape.
Membership Benefits and Value Proposition
The combination of Wednesday freebies, VIP app deals featuring buy-one-get-one-free offers, discount bundles, and stackable fuel savings creates a multi-layered value proposition for U-Drive Plus members. These benefits are accessible through the company's mobile app, which has received high ratings from users.
The program's structure allows members to receive free items through both regular weekly offers (Wednesday freebies) and promotional deals (VIP app deals), while also accumulating savings that can be applied to fuel purchases. This integrated approach to freebies and discounts across different product categories and services represents a comprehensive loyalty program design.
Technology and Communication Enhancements
The program's technological foundation has been strengthened through a platform refresh in 2021 and the implementation of text messaging outreach in 2022. These enhancements support the delivery of freebie offers and promotional deals to members, ensuring timely communication about available benefits.
The mobile app serves as the primary interface for program members, providing access to VIP app deals, digital coupons, and the fuel price lock feature. The app's high rating suggests that it effectively delivers these features and offers to users in a user-friendly manner.
Conclusion
The United Dairy Farmers U-Drive Plus loyalty program provides members with multiple opportunities to receive free items and discounts through its Wednesday freebies, VIP app deals, and stackable savings offers. The program combines in-store freebies with fuel savings opportunities, creating a comprehensive value proposition for convenience store shoppers. Through continuous updates and technological enhancements, UDF has maintained a highly rated loyalty program that recognizes the importance of providing additional discounts and bundled offers to customers who are attentive to their spending. The program's integration of freebies, discounts, and fuel savings across its approximately 200 stores demonstrates how regional convenience store chains can develop effective loyalty programs that compete with larger national chains.