Kroger executives said Thursday that fuel reward redemptions rose 10% year over year in the fiscal 2026 first quarter, which ended May 23.
Loyalty cards are linked to 95% of in-store transactions, officials also noted during a call discussing Q1 financial results.
Like several other fuel brands, the large grocer and fuel retailer promoted its fuel rewards loyalty program to build incremental traffic by offering relief from the sharp fuel price increases related to the Middle East conflict.
Consumers remain budget conscious as inflation accelerates, and Kroger expects inflationary pressure to continue through the second half of this year.
Kroger, which operates more than 1,700 fuel centers beside its grocery stores, recently announced summer deals offering loyalty club members savings of up to $35 per fuel purchase. A digital coupon in the Kroger app or website allows customers to earn four times Fuel Points on every dollar spent each Friday from June 12 through July 24 and July 1-4.
Kroger sells fuel through several different grocery banners and partners with Shell to provide fuel rewards redemption at participating Shell stations.
The Kroger brand alone ranks eighth in U.S. gas brand market share by visits at 3.36%, selling fuel about 6cts/gal below local market prices, according to OPIS MarketSharePro.
This content was created by Oil Price Information Service, which is operated by Dow Jones & Co. OPIS is run independently from Dow Jones Newswires and The Wall Street Journal.
Reporting by Donna Harris, dharris@opisnet.com; Editing by Michael Kelly, mkelly@opisnet.com
(END) Dow Jones Newswires
June 18, 2026 11:06 ET (15:06 GMT)
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