In an unusual newspaper advertisement, Ukrop’s supermarkets told shoppers Monday that it was reducing its fuelperks! promotion, which allowed motorists to get a discount of $.10 a gallon when they flashed their Ukrop’s card at participating gas stations. Now motorists can get only get $.05 off a gallon of gas.
The full-page ad first appeared in the Times-Dispatch. Then The Times-Dispatch.com ran a quick story summarizing the letter and noting that, “the chain said customers have saved more than $5.1 million in gasoline costs since the program was introduced.”
In today’s paper, the T-D reports that “based on customer comments and dropping gasoline prices, the chain is getting more aggressive with in-store discounting. The chain lowered prices on about 2,500 items”
This is likely a cost cutting measure on par with closing an underperforming store outside Williamsburg and warning Roanoke shoppers that they too might lose that location if sales don’t improve.
BizSense has been trying for several weeks to schedule an interview with management about Ukrop’s strategy.
