A Century-Old Family Grocer Outpaces the Big Chains
Dash's Market launched its first-ever loyalty program with AppCard to compete with larger local chains. The result: more than 50,000 enrolled shoppers, member baskets running 40% larger than non-members, and a measurable lift in trip frequency across all four Buffalo locations.
“Shoppers have appreciated the ease of sign-up and the need to only input their phone numbers to use the AppCard program. They enjoy using the app to check their rewards status, clip digital coupons and track their purchases through the digital receipts.”
Alexa Dash
Director of E-commerce and Marketing, Dash's Market
Watch the Story
Hear it from the Dash's Market team
Shoppers Enrolled to Date
Bigger Member Baskets vs. Non-Members
Extra Spend Beyond Reward Threshold
The Challenge
Competing With Big Chains Without a Loyalty Program
With more than 100 years of family food-retail roots and four beloved Buffalo stores, Dash's Market had built its reputation on service and scratch-made fresh foods — but it was running its promotions through a one-size-fits-all weekly ad while bigger competitors operated advanced loyalty efforts.
Weekly Ad, One-Size-Fits-All
For years, Dash's Market reached shoppers through a single weekly ad — the same offers for every customer, with no way to recognize a loyal regular or a lapsed one.
Outgunned by Big-Chain Loyalty
Large regional chains were running advanced rewards programs while Dash's had no first-party data and no way to engage shoppers between visits.
No Visibility Into Shopper Behavior
Without a rewards program, Dash's had no view into spending patterns, day-part preferences, or which shoppers were drifting away to competitors.
Average Basket · Members vs. Non-Members
Rewards Members Spend 40% More Per Trip
Indexed against a non-member basket of 100, Dash's Rewards members ring up baskets 40% larger — and they shop more frequently across the store's service sections.
Member vs. non-member average basket size, indexed (non-member = 100). Members also visit more frequently and shop different day-parts in the store's service sections.
The Solution
A First Loyalty Program That Anyone Could Join in Seconds
Dash's Market began its work with AppCard at the end of 2019, installing in-lane shopper-facing terminals (NTRs) at every POS register and training cashiers to walk shoppers through enrollment in three seconds or less.
The launch was designed to engage shoppers immediately: signing up earned enough points for an instant first reward and opted them in to text and email offers. Shoppers quickly learned that higher spending levels meant bigger rewards — and started building bigger baskets to get there.
Dash's also leaned into AppCard's partner ecosystem, plugging into ShopToCook for digital-coupon clipping on the retailer's website and exploring Rosie to bring loyalty into their e-commerce experience.
Why It Worked
Zero-Friction Sign-Up, Instant Rewards, Every Lane
Phone-Number Sign-Up
AppCard's in-lane NTR terminals let shoppers enroll with just a phone number — no app to download, no email confirmation. Three seconds at the register and they're earning points.
Instant-Reward Launch
Sign-ups received enough points to redeem immediately, giving shoppers a win on their very first visit and a reason to opt in to texts and emails right at checkout.
Cashier-Led Adoption
Cashiers were trained to educate shoppers on sign-up and usage, turning every register into a steady enrollment engine across all four locations.
Reporting & Ecosystem
A Dashboard That Made the Whole Program Easy to Run
The AppCard dashboard let Dash's target shoppers, track spending, run tiered campaigns, and trigger automated email sends from shopper segments — all without a marketing operations team. In a recent campaign, shoppers spent 21% more than they needed to qualify for the reward.
ShopToCook Digital Coupons
AppCard's integration with ShopToCook let Dash's shoppers clip coupons directly on the retailer's website and redeem them automatically through the rewards program.
Rosie E-Commerce
An integration with online shopping platform Rosie opened the door for Dash's to extend the loyalty program into its e-commerce experience.
Hands-On Account Partnership
A dedicated AppCard account associate brings fresh messaging ideas, campaign strategies, and tactics to keep employees engaged with the program.
“The efforts increase loyalty for both existing and new shoppers. Shoppers enjoy being part of the program and the reporting shows they have become more serious about shopping with us.”
Alexa Dash
Director of E-commerce and Marketing, Dash's Market
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