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Grotto Pizza wins Paytronix Loyaltees Award for gift card campaign

Paytronix Systems announced the second winner of its 2016 Paytronix Loyaltees Awards and Grotto Pizza took best gift card campaign award.

March 17, 2016

Paytronix Systems, a provider of reward program solutions to restaurants and retailers, announced the second winner of its 2016 Paytronix Loyaltees Awards: Grotto Pizza took the best gift card campaign award. The annual awards program is designed to identify and spotlight Paytronix customers which are leveraging its Rewards platform to deliver innovative and market-defining guest experiences, according to a company press release.

Grotto Pizza has been in business at Delaware's beaches since 1960, expanding inland throughout Delaware, Pennsylvania and Maryland.

Grotto Pizza leveraged its Paytronix-powered Swirl Rewards Club loyalty program to implement a holiday gift card promotion encouraging loyalty members to come back and dine during the winter offseason, while giving back to its most loyal customers as well. The promotion offered a 20-percent bonus card add-on to the value of any Grotto Pizza gift cards purchased ($10 free with a $50 gift card, selling throughout the holiday shopping season). The promotional cards were open for redemption Jan. 1 through March 31, driving return visits when Grotto Pizza had the most available tables to fill.

Overall, Grotto promotion resulted in:

• Higher spend — The 20-percent bonus led guests to buy more cards, in larger gift-card amounts than they would otherwise.
• Sustainable lift — Grotto Pizza saw more than a 20 percent lift in 2015 sales (total spend) compared to same-store sales for the 2014 promotion, averaging more than 20-percent growth for each of the three years since implementation.
• Off-season boost — The bonus cards provided an increase of customer visits in the winter off-season, without discounting visits during the summer season when Grotto's traffic is heavy.

​"Paytronix's recognition for the success of our program is quite an honor. The gift program works; we don't just see a one-time spike from an offer. We're filling the restaurants with more offseason business year after year," said Vinnie DiNatale, director of marketing at Grotto Pizza Inc.

"The power of Grotto Pizza's gift card promotion comes from the mutual benefit to everyone," said Andrew Robbins, president, Paytronix Systems. "Grotto Pizza has perfectly aligned its promotional offering to address a critical business challenge that they face annually, and the result is a sustainable program that not only leverages guest loyalty, but strengthens it."