GIANT EAGLE REVISES POPULAR FUEL PROMOTION

Dam Alaimo

PITTSBURGH -- Giant Eagle has revised the schedule of expiration dates for customers using its fuelperks! gasoline program.

This month, the retailer distributed information in stores informing users of the loyalty card-based program that instead of the six-month increments previously used -- for example, all discounts earned in the first half of the year had to be used by June 30 -- customers would have three months to use the discounts on a rolling schedule: Discounts earned in May must be redeemed by Aug. 31, in June by Sept. 30, etc.

Giant Eagle offers 10 cents off a gallon of gasoline at its GetGo stations for every $50 spent in the supermarket. Purchases and accumulated discounts are tracked electronically, listed on the bottom of supermarket receipts, and applied when customers use their Giant Eagle loyalty card to make a gas purchase.

"In the past, we experienced some instances of customer confusion regarding customers not understanding when fuelperks! rewards expired," said spokesman Brian Frey. "Now it will be much easier for our customers as their receipts will clearly identify their total fuelperks! earnings and when certain discounts will be expiring."

Frey noted that most customers redeem the fuel discounts quickly, but some waited until the end of the six-month period, resulting in lines at the pumps.

According to the retailer's Web site, customers can now earn the gas discounts at 126 Giant Eagle stores and use them at 65 GetGo locations.