Loyalty programs are very common these days at major supermarkets. Basically, the whole thing is a win-win strategy: People get access to discounts and special deals, while retailers keep their customers spending in one place and have full access to data on their spending habits.
If you’re an avid money saver—well, who isn’t during these times of high inflation?—you’re probably always looking for special offers and discounts. While buying groceries has become more expensive than ever, there are some ways you can save some money while buying food.
By enrolling in their loyalty programs, grocery stores and supermarkets offer customers discounts and other types of rewards, including a better price on gas. This is definitely a great strategy that can soften the blow of high prices. By the way, if you want to build your own financial plan, this book may help you.
Here are some of the best grocery store loyalty programs!
1. Giant Flexible Rewards
Giant supermarkets feature the Giant Flexible Rewards program, which enables members to use their points for discounts. You can benefit from these discounts both for in-store and online grocery purchases.
How does the loyalty program work? Well, if you have 100 points, you can redeem them and get a $1 discount. Every 100 points redeemed nets members 10 cents off per gallon at Giant as well as other participating Shell gas stations.
There are also other rewards that include weekly deals and free products. If you haven’t tried it yet, you may want to give it a chance. Let us know in the comments section if you’ve used it and how helpful it was!
2. Albertsons for U
This is another reward program that comes with several awesome perks. The first perk comes right after signing up, as you receive $5 off your first purchase (it has to be $25 or more).
The program also offers discounts on groceries and gas, personalized offers, digital coupons, points, a free product every month, and a free birthday treat. Now that’s quite something!
You’ll get one point for every dollar you spend on groceries and two points for every dollar spent on gift cards. When you reach 100 points, you’ll receive a reward in the form of free grocery items in-store or a discount on gas. The points add up pretty quickly, especially if you have a large household.
3. Price Chopper, AdvantEdge
AdvantEdge, Price Chopper’s loyalty program, is a money-saving tool that can be used both in-store and online. Similar to the first two loyalty programs mentioned above, it allows customers to earn points when they make purchases from Price Chopper, Market Bistro, Market 32, or online at pricechopper.com.
Basically, for every dollar you spend, you earn one point. 100 points offer you a discount of $1 on groceries or a discount of 5 cents on one gallon of gas, up to 20 gallons.
What’s great about these points is that they can be used to pay down college debt, support local schools, donate to charity, and enter sweepstakes to win prizes. The offer doesn’t apply to purchases of tobacco, alcohol, gift cards, postage stamps, lottery tickets, bottle deposits, copy/fax services, entertainment tickets, Western Union, and taxes.
4. Kroger Boost and Rewards World Elite Mastercard
The Kroger Company has lots of stores all over the country. Their loyalty program called Boost targets online customers, but the deals also apply to in-person stores, gas stations, convenience stores, and e-commerce. Members can also get access to free one-day delivery and enhanced gas points, but they have to pay $59 annually. For $99 per year, members get free same-day delivery and gas points.
New members in the Columbus, Indianapolis, Atlanta, and Cincinnati metro areas also get the chance to receive a one-time welcome kit worth about $100, meant to help reduce the initial year’s cost of the program.
But that’s not all. Participating Kroger stores give their loyal customers a Rewards World Elite Mastercard. If you have this card, you can receive 2% cash back at certain Kroger stores for every dollar spent.
Those stores include Baker’s, Dillons, City Market, Fred Meyer, Foods Co., Food 4 Less, Gerbes, Fry’s, King Soopers, Jay C Food Store, Mariano’s, Kroger, Pay-Less Super Markets, Metro Market, QFC, Ralphs, Pick’n Save, Ruler, and Smith’s Food and Drug.
5. Piggy Wiggly Rewards
Piggy Wiggly stores also have a loyalty program that pays customers back in “Pig Points.” You can use the points for discounts on food and gas. All you have to do is scan your Rewards Card at your preferred Piggly Wiggly store and search for in-store “Pig Points” tags to see for which products you can redeem your points.
You can also use your Pig Points for fuel. For every 300 points you accumulate, you get a one-cent per gallon discount. Make sure you look for “Pig Points accepted here” tags at participating gas stations.
You’ll want to not wait too much before using your points, however, as Pig Point balances are capped at a limit of 200,000 points.
6. Club Publix
Publix Supermarket customers can enroll in Club Publix, a free loyalty program. By signing up for it, you can enjoy several benefits, including digital coupons, personalized deals, and birthday treats.
As a member of the program, you’ll also get the chance to be among the first to know about weekly sneak peeks of sale items and buy one, get one sales. Plus, you’ll be able to save grocery shopping lists, so the next time you place an order, it will be easier to do that. You can even pay using the Publix app.
In certain areas, you can use the app to make a donation to a public school of your choice.
7. Stop & Shop and GO Rewards
Stop & Shop GO Rewards is a loyalty program available via stopandshop.com and the Stop & Shop app. By using it, you can earn one point per $1 spent at Stop & Shop, with some exceptions. You can also earn extra points with special deals in your online account. These deals will be personalized for you based on your shopping preferences.
Your points can also get you discounts at Stop & Shop stations and certain Shell gas stations. For every 100 points you’ve accumulated, you receive a 10-cent discount per gallon (up to 20 gallons). The points do expire, though; you have 60 days from the day you earned them to use them.
8. Winn-Dixie Rewards
The Southeastern grocery store also features a loyalty program called the Winn-Dixie Rewards program. Members earn one point for every $2 they spend at Winn-Dixie. Once you’ve accumulated 100 points, you get $1 off groceries.
Similar to other loyalty programs, points translate to cash off your purchases. You can also receive “mystery bonus” points that enhance your points for certain products, reward boosters that offer you extra points for purchasing specific items or quantities of items, and deals of the week.
There are several exceptions, particularly for items like lottery tickets, tobacco, gift cards, check cashing fees, and other money fees and money orders.
9. Walmart+
While we can agree that Walmart isn’t just a grocery store, they have a huge selection of produce and food. If you do your groceries here often, then you should join their loyalty program. It’s called Walmart+ and comes with lots of perks, though you have to pay for it.
For $98 annually, you can get free delivery from local stores if you place an order over $35, as well as free next-day and two-day shipping from the Walmart website. You’ll also receive a discount of 10 cents per gallon of gas you buy from participating gas stations (there are over 14,000 participating locations).
The program also provides access to a “scan-and-go” feature for those looking for a contactless checkout process.
10. Sprouts
If you want to make the most of Sprouts’ weekly deals, monthly grocery specials, and other discounts, then you should download the store’s app. With the Sprouts app, you gain access to their special discounts as well as a 10% discount on body care and vitamins for every $100 you spend.
Plus, their loyalty program also features a monthly free-sampling benefit meant to introduce customers to new products. When you enroll, you can get coupons for up to five items for free.
Which grocery store loyalty programs do you use? What was the biggest deal you were offered by using them? Let us know in the comment section!
You may also want to read Costco vs. Walmart: Which One Deserves YOUR Money?
