Fuel for thought

Promises of improved trade had not materialised for Stephen Thorpe. Photo / Bay of Plenty Times

The Australian operator of fuel discount programme Servo Savers has axed the dockets and plans to replace them with a new rewards card allowing consumers to redeem points for more than just petrol.

Servo Savers launched in New Zealand four years ago, offering smaller North Island businesses the chance to participate in a fuel rewards programme competing with the major supermarket chains.

However the scheme was widely criticised. Many retailers pulled out after only a few months claiming there had not been enough advertising and promises of improved trade had not materialised.

Stephen Thorpe, owner of Hilltop Garden Centre, told the Bay of Plenty Times at the time that despite paying a $2500 joining fee and three monthly payments of $850 his sales had not increased.

Servo Savers offered consumers a discount of 30 cents a litre if they shopped at five participating retailers.

But Servo Savers founder Phyllis Dunn said fuel dockets had had their day.

Across the Tasman she and co-founder Anthony Ramien have launched Shop Save n Win, an electronic rewards card that records cash credits each time the shopper spends a minimum amount with member retailers.

The credits can then be used to pay for fuel or any other goods at the participating merchants.

Servo Savers was shut down on March 31 and the associated company Fuel Reward (NZ) Limited put into liquidation.

Dunn said the revamp was about remaining current, as the trend was towards electronic programmes.

Woolworths in Australia had now switched over to a rewards card from fuel dockets, she said.

Progressive Enterprises, operator of the Woolworths, Foodtown and Countdown supermarkets in New Zealand, said in a statement that at this stage it had no plans to follow its Australian parent's lead.

It said fuel dockets were still popular with shoppers, however, electronic cards were more convenient.

The difference between vouchers and an electronic system was the transparency, Dunn said.

"[It's] about giving independent businesses an opportunity to participate in something normally restricted to the multinationals."