Supermaket fuel discounts.

whynot7, Jan 15, 8:49am
why does a fuel retailergive me a discount if i buy groceries from a supermarket and then show them the receipt! . why do they care that i have spent money at a supermarket ! . Do they get a payment back from the supermarket. Why not just lower their fuel price by 4cents an not takevouchers.

franc123, Jan 15, 9:01am
The only reason I can think of for this strange activity is analysis of buying patterns, where vouchers are issued vs where they actually get used.When you look at it in more detail a 4c/L discount doesn't even represent 2% of your fuel bill, its a joke IMO.Its only when you get into the 20-25c range that its really worth bothering with.

jono2912, Jan 15, 9:22am
Advertising on the supermarkets behalf, you'd be surprised how many patrons will shop at a certain supermarket if they get a 20-25cpl voucher.

bmwnz, Jan 15, 9:25am
I always get a laugh when the supermarket give me a fuel voucher. Its always for BP and the nearest BP station is in the next town. Completely useless.

tonyrockyhorror, Jan 15, 9:29am
The fuel retailer doesn't give you a discount.

richardmayes, Jan 15, 9:44am
You drive into a Brand X servo, because you have a docket from Pack'n'Undies that offers you 4c/litre off petrol, but only at a Brand X servo.

You're happy, because your $98 tank of petrol only cost you $96.50. Oh Yeah.

Brand X are happy, because you spent $96.50 on petrol with them (instead of their competitor.)

Pack'n'Undies are happy, because the lure of petrol vouchers led you to spend $200 on groceries with them (instead of their competitor.)

Everyone's happy!

jmma, Jan 15, 9:54am
Not sure on that one
Why, if you are already there and have filled up, do they ask if you have a supermarket voucher! They could say nothing, unless there is something in it for them.

whynot7, Jan 15, 10:10am
ok so i go to new world ,i buy stuff and get 4cent voucher for shell.
i take same same receipt/voucher to challenge anthey offer 4cent discount too .
If challenge was 4cents cheaper to start with i would go there . they must be able to be 4cents cheaper because they can match shells 4 cent voucher offer .
If challenge was 4 cents cheaper to begin with that would be better BUT shell would then need to cheaperto get my business.
WHY do i need a supermarket in all this! when a service station takes a voucher for no reward!

tonyrockyhorror, Jan 15, 10:14am
No. They give a volume discount to the retailer you got the groceries from. It's only a small portion of the 'discount' you get. The rest is subsidised by the groceries you bought which on the whole will be more expensive for a 20c/L voucher than another supermarket that offers only 6c/L.

You pay for most of your own discount.

whynot7, Jan 15, 10:26am
ok so why does a non supermarket affiliated service station accept another service stations vouchers and match the discount they offer!. why not just lower their pump price and attract regular non supermarket shoppers with the a lower everydayretail fuel price . .

jason_247, Jan 15, 10:36am
petrol stations make little more than 4c per liter on fuel, they make far more on food and lollies, (especially BP) by offering this discount they get some money from the supermarket but also get to buy supplys via supermarkets at much lower prices hence increasing their profit margin on those items greatly

neo_psy, Jan 15, 10:37am
Secret Shoppers. They have to ask. Same reason they will ask if you want a carwash (even if you're on a motorbike, and why they ask if you want the chocolate bars they've got on special.

neo_psy, Jan 15, 10:38am
Because by accepting anyone else's vouchers, they don't have to get into an expensive tie-up deal with Foodstuffs or Progressive. And they aren't limited.

neo_psy, Jan 15, 10:41am
The retailing stations would be unlikely to be paying that 4c themselves - the fuel companies will have a deal with the supermarket companies about who wears it.

thewomble1, Jan 15, 12:40pm
When the oil companies claim the discount back from Foodstuffs or Progressive there is proof of the 'discount' claimed. IT IS NOT THE OIL COMPANIES WHO GIVE THE DISCOUNT.

sparkles_bc, Jan 16, 12:44am
It's a loyalty system.
BP and Caltex partner with Foodstuffs (Pak n Save and New World) in order to attract their customers by offering them a small 4c discount if they purchase fuel.
But as there is very little profit in fuel sales, when the customer is in the BP/Caltex store the staff try to upsell high margin products; coffee, carwashes, lollies as stated.

If I recall correctly, supermarket discount vouchers were only issued when supermarkets ran promotions, but this led to a war between the fuel retailers who then selected a chain to partner with and stuck with it since.

elect70, Jan 16, 1:08am
Its also a tax deductableincentive, so they claim it against their tax. They are just like any otherscheme to attract yourbusiness

neville48, Jan 16, 6:11am
In australia the servos are all owned by coles myer supermarket group bar the independents like matilda and gull so get used to it because it will happen here too. methinks the supermarkets are already pre bying large amounts of fuel and retailing it throught these outlets etc.

dave653, Jan 16, 6:48am
If I use a 25c voucher to fill my 73ltr tank and a 20ltr drum, I can save maybe $17, which (very roughly) equates to around 100km free driving. Anything under 10c is biffed.

primemeat, Jan 17, 12:23am
I think you will find that the supermarkets reimbuse the stations from there own coffers.25c vouchers if you spend over $200 to a max of 150 litres=a small discount off your spend at the market.

david.b, Jan 17, 1:18am
Daughter #1 who is visiting from Edinburgh was telling me just this morning that over in the UK you can combine supermarket fuel vouchers together and use them all at once, so say if you had 5 valid 4c per litre vouchers, you could enter all the code numbers, or use all the vouchers at one time, and get a 20c per litre discount (5 times 4c).Seems a great idea to get a worth while saving, the Supermarkets have already given out the fuel voucher.Maybe the claim rate on the fuel vouchers would increase beyond the budgeted level so the supermarkets won't do it!