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Haffner’s to Launch Unified, Gamified Loyalty Program Across C-Stores and Car Washes in Partnership with Liquid Barcodes

Haffner’s, the convenience and fuel brand owned by Energy North Incorporated, is set to launch a new integrated loyalty program with Liquid Barcodes in early 2026, unifying digital rewards across its 70 convenience stores, car washes, and fuel operations in New England — including heating oil and propane services.

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GLO

Haffner’s — the convenience retail and fuel brand operated by Energy North Incorporated — is preparing a major upgrade to its customer engagement strategy with the rollout of a new, fully integrated loyalty program developed in collaboration with global loyalty technology provider Liquid Barcodes. The forthcoming program, scheduled to debut in early 2026, will unify the brand’s digital ecosystem across its nearly 70 convenience stores, car washes, and fuel operations throughout Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Maine, and will also extend to heating oil and propane orders.

A Strategic Digital Overhaul for a Growing Regional Retailer

The new program marks a significant evolution for Haffner’s, which has expanded rapidly across New England through acquisitions and organic growth. With consumer expectations rising across the convenience and fuel sectors, the retailer is modernizing its digital touchpoints to meet the demand for seamless rewards, mobile-first experiences, and frictionless service.

Haffner’s joins a wave of U.S. convenience chains — including Terrible’s, Onvo, MAPCO, Casey’s, and EG America — that have launched or rebuilt loyalty programs in the last year to deepen customer relationships, grow membership bases, and improve operational consistency across stores.

What the New Loyalty Program Will Deliver

The upgraded loyalty platform will introduce a suite of modern engagement tools powered by Liquid Barcodes’ global loyalty infrastructure:

• Gamification features, such as digital challenges, instant-win games, and streak rewards to increase frequency and mobile engagement.

• Subscriptions and memberships, supporting recurring revenue models such as monthly car wash plans and potential future fuel or beverage subscriptions.

• A unified data environment, replacing siloed systems with a single platform for managing rewards, coupons, promotions, and customer profiles across all Haffner’s channels.

• In-app account management and ordering, simplifying fuel delivery requests and enabling customers to track propane or heating oil services via mobile.

Liquid Barcodes — whose platform is used by convenience leaders in over 40 countries — brings expertise in integrating loyalty, car wash memberships, and subscription commerce into a single mobile app experience.

A Connected, Friction-Free Ecosystem

According to Janet Ries, Chief Brand Officer at Haffner’s, the goal is to streamline and unify the company’s digital ecosystem:

“Partnering with Liquid Barcodes allows us to bring all of our offerings under one connected platform, simplify our technology stack, remove friction, and deliver more value to our customers through a unified, data-driven experience.”

The shift reflects a broader industry trend: loyalty programs in the convenience sector are no longer just about cents-off fuel discounts. Retailers are embracing personalized rewards, real-time promotions, and gamified engagement to differentiate in a highly competitive, low-margin market.

Growth Signals from Parent Company Energy North

The timing of this upgrade coincides with indications that Energy North — one of the largest wholesale distributors and convenience operators in the Northeast — may be preparing for further expansion. Public reports earlier this year revealed the company had been among the bidders for 18 Massachusetts highway travel plazas, a major redevelopment initiative. Although the initial bidding process stalled, the opportunity has since been reopened, and industry observers believe interest remains high from Energy North and other regional players.

A unified loyalty and digital platform will allow Haffner’s to scale more efficiently if its store base grows, supporting new markets and formats with consistent customer experience and centralized data infrastructure.

A Regionally Important Brand Making National-Level Moves

Haffner’s, known for its “It kicks!” mascot and multi-generation presence in New England, has increasingly positioned itself as a modern regional competitor. With car wash clubs, a diversified fuel/heating portfolio, and expanding c-store footprint, the company’s new loyalty strategy mirrors moves typically seen among national chains — integrating mobile commerce, subscriptions, and gamification into a single app.

As loyalty programs become a defining differentiator in convenience retail, Haffner’s new platform positions it to compete more effectively for customer retention, mobile engagement, and share of wallet in a region where consumer expectations continue to rise.

Global Loyalty Organisation Take

Haffner’s upcoming loyalty overhaul reflects several macro-trends shaping the global loyalty landscape across convenience retail, fuel, and service-based ecosystems:

1. Unified loyalty ecosystems are becoming the new standard.

Across markets, retailers are consolidating loyalty, payments, subscriptions, and digital ordering into single, connected platforms. Haffner’s move mirrors the global shift toward ecosystems in which every customer interaction — from fuel to car wash to in-store to home heating — is captured within one data environment. This aligns with best practices seen in Asia and Europe, where fuel and convenience brands have already migrated to fully integrated digital experiences.

2. Gamification is now a core loyalty mechanic, not an add-on.

Gamified rewards drive visit frequency and mobile app engagement — a trend especially strong among Gen Z consumers and emerging markets. Haffner’s adoption of gamification follows a model used by leading global c-store brands, where challenges, instant wins, and digital quests have increased daily active usage by double digits.

3. Subscription commerce is accelerating in convenience and fuel.

Monthly car wash clubs, beverage subscriptions, and bundled service memberships are rapidly expanding worldwide as retailers seek predictable revenue streams. Haffner’s integration of subscription products into its loyalty architecture signals alignment with global leaders who are blending loyalty and subscription models into hybrid engagement platforms.

4. First-party data is becoming the most valuable asset.

By moving from siloed systems to a unified database, Haffner’s is positioning itself to capture richer, more actionable customer insights. Globally, retailers are prioritizing first-party data as third-party cookies phase out and as personalization becomes essential to competitive differentiation.

5. Loyalty is shifting from discount-driven to value-driven.

Like leading programmes internationally, Haffner’s is moving beyond fuel discounts to offer a broader suite of value experiences — gamified rewards, service perks, and subscription-based benefits. This reflects an industry evolution where emotional engagement and everyday utility increasingly trump traditional transactional offers.

6. Digital transformation is now table stakes for regional players.

Haffner’s investment places it among a new wave of regional retailers modernizing their loyalty platforms to compete with national chains. Globally, the convenience sector is seeing rapid digital levelling, where technology and loyalty sophistication are no longer exclusive to the largest operators.

7. Loyalty is becoming a strategic asset in M&A and expansion.

With Energy North reportedly eyeing acquisitions such as the Massachusetts highway travel plazas, a strong digital loyalty platform strengthens competitive positioning. Globally, companies preparing for growth are prioritizing loyalty infrastructure early, ensuring that expansion comes with scalable, consistent customer engagement frameworks.

Source: Haffner’s / GLO