For businesses

Tracking retail fuel trends: February 2025

Demand picked up as warmer weather thawed much of America, but a refinery fire marred an otherwise encouraging month.

Dr. Thomas Weinandy

March 7, 2025

Unlocking grocery growth: Breaking through the plateau

Grocers that put their stores on Upside drive sales increases equivalent to building new stores, no CapEx or OpEx required.

The Upside Team

February 28, 2025

Meet ‘The Total,’ your bottom line for retail insights

Upside’s LinkedIn newsletter is packed with relevant insights across the fuel, c-store, grocery, and restaurant industries.

The Upside Team

February 27, 2025

New stores, no cost? How a fresh approach can help grocers grow

Grocers that partner with Upside drive an increase in sales equivalent to opening two new stores, no CapEx or OpEx required.

The Upside Team

February 11, 2025

Upside's most popular blogs of 2024

Revisit our top insights from the past year — with much more to come in the future.

The Upside Team

January 31, 2025

2024 year in review

100,000+ retailers and millions of consumers earned more in 2024. Here’s everything we accomplished together in our best year yet.

The Upside Team

January 9, 2025

Tracking retail fuel trends: December 2024

Cold weather and the holiday season brought expected declines in demand. Plus, we take a closer look at c-store metrics.

Dr. Thomas Weinandy

January 8, 2025

Winning the uncommitted customer: Lessons from Save A Lot’s journey

Save A Lot CIO Jennifer Hopper spoke with me on stage at Grocery Impact 2024. Find out what she had to say.

Alex Kinnier

December 23, 2024

Where do people go out to eat on Christmas? (No, it's not just Chinese.)

We determined the businesses that are most likely to be open for the holidays — and the ones that see the biggest boost in visits.

Dr. Thomas Weinandy

December 19, 2024

Tracking retail fuel trends: November 2024

Despite a rise in holiday travel, fuel demand still fell month-over-month in November. Get a full look at the numbers here.

Dr. Thomas Weinandy

December 9, 2024

Retailer survey: Cautious optimism spurs greater focus on growth

Our latest survey shows retailers are thinking less about surviving and more about growing, a notable shift from the beginning of 2024.

The Upside Team

November 18, 2024

Variable pricing strategies and consumer perceptions

A number of variable pricing strategies are making their way into public consciousness. Here’s what you need to know.

Dr. Thomas Weinandy

November 5, 2024

Podcast: Upside talks ‘uncommitted customers’ with Supermarket News

Upside CEO Alex Kinnier discusses how loyalty members don’t always behave loyally — and how grocers can win more foot traffic.

The Upside Team

November 4, 2024

Our takeaways from NACS 2024

Following four days in Vegas with the top talent in fuel and c-store retail, these topics are at the top of our minds.

The Upside Team

October 22, 2024

Our takeaways from Groceryshop 2024

Following three days in Vegas with some of the best retailers in grocery, here’s what we’re thinking about for the rest of the year and beyond.

The Upside Team

October 22, 2024

Q&A with Giant Eagle: How this grocer earns more loyalty from uncommitted customers

Of the new and non-loyalty shoppers Upside brought to Giant Eagle, over 60% joined myPerks.

Tyler Renaghan

October 21, 2024

Q&A with GetGo: How this retailer turns uncommitted customers into loyal customers

Of the new and non-loyalty customers Upside brought to GetGo, over 60% joined myPerks.

Sam Berkovitz

October 21, 2024

Inflation-adjusted sales: What your revenue numbers aren’t telling you

Due to an increase in cross-shopping, topline revenue gains can be misleading. Factoring for inflation shows a different picture.

Dr. Thomas Weinandy

October 15, 2024

'Breaking Down Buying Trends': The top three takeaways from our experts

Upside’s retail experts broke down the trends shaping the way we shop in a live webinar. We’re revisiting the conversation’s highlights.

The Upside Team

October 11, 2024

Consumer price sensitivity: Why cross-shopping is more prevalent than ever

Consumers aren’t spending less — they’re just spreading trips around to buy less at each store. Our Consumer Spend Report has more.

Dr. Thomas Weinandy

October 8, 2024

Consumer economic sentiment in 2024: Inflation has cooled, but shoppers are still wary

Upside’s Consumer Spend Report featured a new consumer survey about economic sentiments and household finances.

Dr. Thomas Weinandy

September 27, 2024

Consumer spending trends in 2024 and the rise of the uncommitted consumer

Breaking down Upside's inaugural Consumer Spend Report

Dr. Thomas Weinandy

September 18, 2024

Is the Upside app legit?

Learn how the Upside app safely earns you cash back on gas, groceries, dining, and more.

The Upside Team

August 1, 2024

Consumer c-store demand: Even as top-line revenue rises, other metrics tell a different story

Transaction data from more than 1,700 c-stores shows demand is actually in decline. We contextualized the numbers and interviewed consumers to find out what’s behind the shift in shopping behavior.

Dr. Thomas Weinandy

June 14, 2024

Q & A with Cascade Dining on their Upside experience

Papa John’s operators discuss their experience with various marketing partners to drive sales, and what makes Upside different.

The Upside Team

May 24, 2024

Heritage Grocers Group shares how Upside helps win and retain more shoppers

CMO Adam Salgado and COO Prabash Coswatte say that Upside helps differentiate Heritage Grocers Group in the market, helping them generate a 75% return on investment.

The Upside Team

May 8, 2024

What to do with Upside in low-margin fuel environments

Today, thousands of retailers use Upside to win more visits and higher customer spend at a positive, fully-attributable ROI.

Allison Baker

May 8, 2024

Navigating thin margins in fuel and avoiding the 'vicious cycle' of cost-cutting

When fuel margins are low, retailers make less profit. But industry executives say cutting costs can make pre-existing pressures worse.

David Poulnot

May 6, 2024

How grocers bridge the gap from loyalty membership to loyal behavior

Most loyalty members behave like any other shopper. Here's how grocers can turn their average members into super-users.

The Upside Team

April 15, 2024

How far will your restaurant customers travel?

The average American only travels about three miles for casual meals out. How can restaurateurs get customers to go farther to choose them?

Dr. Thomas Weinandy

January 12, 2024

What's the risk of closing your restaurant early?

Right now, it’s difficult to hire, operating costs are high, and foot traffic is down. But shortening open hours probably won’t help.

Dr. Thomas Weinandy

January 11, 2024

Introducing your new Upside Dashboard

The Upside Dashboard gives you and your team the data you need to make smart decisions and prove the incremental impact of every dollar you invest in Upside.

The Upside Team

January 10, 2024

Upside’s dashboard sets a new standard for performance insights. Here’s why.

The new Upside dashboard not only helps you see the value of the Upside program, but also helps to raise the bar for performance measurement across all your business partnerships.

Wayne Lin

January 10, 2024

Diners travel farther for cash back

On average, Americans travel about three miles for a casual meal outside the home. Restaurateurs are turning to Upside to get them to go farther.

The Upside Team

January 8, 2024

How grocery loyalty programs stack up against the "Big Five"

We reviewed the loyalty programs from best-in-class American grocery retailers to see if successful programs drive more market share.

Dr. Thomas Weinandy

January 5, 2024

Grocery shoppers travel farther for cash back

U.S. shoppers usually buy groceries close to home, but the right cash back offer can motivate grocery shoppers to travel almost 3x the typical distance.

The Upside Team

November 30, 2023

How far will your grocery customers travel?

The average grocery shopper is only eight minutes away from their preferred store. How can grocers get customers to travel farther to choose them?

Dr. Thomas Weinandy

November 15, 2023

Cost-passing is backfiring for full-service restaurant owners

Customers are no longer willing to foot the bill for rising food costs, so restaurateurs need a new way to cover those increases.

Dr. Thomas Weinandy

November 14, 2023

FCES 2023 panel summary: “Embracing AI without Killing Your Budget”

Cutting costs, reducing errors, improving customer satisfaction and enhancing the customer experience are just a few benefits of incorporating artificial intelligence into operations, but upgrading systems isn’t always affordable.

The Upside Team

October 10, 2023

Leveraging consumer psychology with effective promotions

How promotions drive behavioral change in consumers

The Upside Team

May 4, 2023

Boosting restaurant profits: A guide to the best tech stack

The right technology to increase ticket sizes and drive loyalty

The Upside Team

March 31, 2023

Thriving in a declining market: Strategies for growing your fuel business

Upside's insights report for fuel retailers to stay competitive in changing markets

The Upside Team

March 10, 2023

Why measuring capacity utilization is essential for grocers

By making better use of your existing assets, you could see a profit that could cover the cost of hiring additional staff to fill that empty register. Learn more here.

Tyler Renaghan

December 13, 2022

How marketplaces unlock new sales potential for retailers

Brick and mortar businesses have an inherent constraint on their usage: their physical location. Marketplaces are unlocking incremental transactions for retailers with very little lift.

Alex Kinnier

November 17, 2022

How does a business join Upside?

Join the Upside network to reach new customers and earn proven profit without contracts or complex integrations. It's a win-win for your business

The Upside Team

June 1, 2022

Prices are rising, but retailers aren’t the bad guys

Navigating inflation and supporting local businesses with Upside

The Upside Team

April 8, 2022

Personalized customer experience: How industry leaders create loyal customers

Understand the customer experience strategies employed by restaurant giants like Chick-fil-A, Dunkin’ Donuts, and McDonald's to foster customer loyalty and engagement

The Upside Team

March 21, 2022

Gas prices are skyrocketing: Here’s everything you need to know

Understanding the surge in prices, economic influences, and how Upside continues to provide cash back amidst the fluctuations

The Upside Team

March 8, 2022

Brick and mortar retail is making a comeback

How retailers are thriving post-pandemic by combining clicks-to-bricks acquisition and innovative in-store experiences to attract and retain customers

The Upside Team

March 3, 2022

How retailers can survive the new labor market

Amid labor shortages and rising costs, brick and mortar businesses must adapt to the changing labor landscape by understanding market trends and implementing strategies to attract and retain employees while optimizing operations for profitability

The Upside Team

December 22, 2021

How to attract holiday workers during the labor shortage

Creative strategies to attract holiday workers amidst the ongoing labor shortage and staffing challenges

The Upside Team

November 30, 2021

How to make every day Small Business Saturday

Discover the Upside Effect and how it connects people and local businesses, empowering communities and creating economic harmony on Small Business Saturday and every day

The Upside Team

November 24, 2021

Amazon goes offline: Why small businesses need to take note

What the online retail giant’s move into physical bookstores means for the future of small business

Alex Kinnier

August 26, 2016