With digital sales year-to-date surpassing the $2 billion mark, Chipotle Mexican Grill on Wednesday rolled out a new Extras feature of the loyalty program to help members earn free food faster.
With the return of dine-in business, Chipotle has been working hard to maintain the strong digital sales built during the pandemic closures, and the loyalty program has been a key enabler in helping to “supercharge the superfans,” as CEO Brian Niccol said during the second-quarter earnings call with analysts in July.
The Chipotle Rewards program now boasts 24 million members and Chipotle contends it is among the fastest growing loyalty programs in restaurant industry history.
By comparison, Starbucks at the end of its June 27-ended third quarter said it had 24.2 million active loyalty members, but the coffee chain also has more than 33,000 units globally, compared with Chipotle’s 2,850.
Chipotle Rewards members earn 10 points for every $1 spent in the restaurant, online or on the app. The new Extras program further gamifies Chipotle Rewards with personalized challenges to earn extra points and collect “achievement badges” — which the chain says is an industry first. To celebrate, members can earn double points on purchases through Sept. 3.
Loyalty points can be redeemed through the chain’s Rewards Exchange in the app for free menu items, apparel and more. Members can also redeem their points to support non-profit partners, like The Farmlink Project, the National Young Farmers Coalition and the National Urban League.
“Offering new ways to engage with Chipotle is essential to the ongoing evolution of our digital business,” said Chris Brandt, Chipotle’s chief marketing officer, in a statement.
During the second quarter, Chipotle’s digital sales grew about 11% year-over-year to $916 million and represented nearly 49% of sales.
Niccol in July said further enhancements to the loyalty program would be rolled out before the end of the year to help improve engagement and drive additional frequency.
Contact Lisa Jennings at [email protected]
Follow her on Twitter: @livetodineout
