7-Eleven Rewards Mobile App Redesign

Evolution Required

How might we evolve an app with low long term engagement into a powerful and personalized platform providing sustained value?

Before/After - Drag handle to view

Introduction

It is February of 2020 and the 7-Eleven mobile app experience must evolve beyond the simple generalized “deals” app their customers use every day. Much of the app’s user base doesn’t engage much beyond initial promotions offered during sign-up. The “deals” that are offered aren’t specific and relevant to each customer. The app experience is primarily about “deals” but innovative features are planned for later in the year. The visual design is disjointed and outdated. 

And just a few weeks later a global pandemic would drastically changed everything about how we transacted with customers and conducted our business.

Short-term Gains Create Long-Term Pain

Through researching our massive internal data lake of quantitative customer behaviors in the app and in-store purchasing behaviors, it’s clear a large percentage of new customer engagement drops off soon after app download, and first “deal” discount. There’s a few key promotions that are sticky, which motivate customers to return to the app. 

We also perform qualitative testing in-stores and discover that a competing, lower friction experience is reducing app engagement. 

The "Customer Facing Display" (CFD) pictured at bottom aided customers in discounts without the use of the Rewards app.

Additional studies indicate customer interest in enabling underbanked customers to transact digitally through their app

Building New Habits to Drive Sustained Engagement

The customer-facing display at each store was cannibalizing use of the Rewards app. We needed to provide and communicate unique value inside the app to prove to customers it would save them time and money.

Our customers told us personalizing the app experience and providing unique promotions based on their previous purchases and preferred products was important to them. If they were going to use the app vs. the CFD, we’d need to add more value to the app.

Five innovative and large-scale features were planned to be integrated into the app experience throughout the year. I would lead three of them: the digital wallet, a foundational redesign of the “deals” experience, and an all-new transaction history, along with leading the overall integration of all app features and a unified design.

Approximately 60% of frequent customers were underbanked, yet they wanted to participate in the digital economy. Enabling them to convert cash to digital currency enabled in stores would be a powerful driver of innovation.

Key Insight

7-Eleven operates their store network via a combination of franchisee and corporate stores. This required a unique and flexible app experience that would change based on the store a customer visited. I led the team through the design of a solution to the geo-location awareness challenge of exposing or hiding features and functionality based on a customer’s specific location. 

Broad Customer Journey infographic mapping pain points and opportunities

Sustained Incremental Releases Tested Across Multiple Markets

Our project roadmap detailed multiple planned feature releases throughout the year. Much of the generative and strategic studies were almost complete when I joined the team. I led the team through usability testing and partnered with our UX Research leader on additional field studies and MVP testing specifically for the Digital Wallet launch.

• Initially, I led the launch of the completely redesigned app home screen which utilized a new and growing design pattern library to introduce new functionality like a location-enabled “shortcut” navigation, a personalized day-part greeting, a dashboard showing important account information, and an overall new visual design.

• Soon after, we rolled out a limited release of innovative new features like Mobile Checkout in store, and Fuel Pay-at-the-Pump.

• Early in summer we launched the Digital Wallet — a first in the convenience industry — which empowered underbanked customers with the unique ability to not only deposit funds to the mobile app via credit cards, but critically allowed them to deposit cash in the app through a digital transaction in the stores.

• Subsequently we released a modernized “Deals” feature with personalized deals for app customers, and a comprehensive transaction history feature showing each customer’s purchases and loyalty points earning and redemptions. 

2020 App Releases Schedule

An Innovative and Personalized App with a Flexible Navigation System

The updated app integrated with a Fresh new visual design. It featured multiple flexible geo-specific navigation entry-points into the new features like the Digital Wallet, Mobile Checkout and Fuel Payment which were required given our unique franchisee business model. 

We personalized the experience for customers with features like the header showing unique customer points and wallet balances, as well as a personalized greeting, and a powerful new Deals experience that leveraged machine learning based on their behaviors, preferences, and purchases to provide unique savings per customer. 

Finally, we launched the sophisticated digital wallet feature which empowered underbanked customers to transact digitally using their app by converting cash to add to their wallet balance for use in-store and in their app.

Impact

An Award-winning App, Empowering Customers with Sustained Engagement

COVID was a significant headwind which disrupted our plans for collaboration and testing for the new experience. However, convenience stores were deemed essential businesses, and they stayed open, which meant our team took proper procedures to allow us to continue our plan to test our work in stores. 

We also heard from our franchisees that they wanted us to slow down on our rollout plans because it was hard enough for them to make the necessary safety changes to their stores required by law, and they wanted adequate training for their staff on how to transact with customers using the new features like the digital wallet.

Despite the challenges, the project was a resounding success for customers and the business.

The Association for Customer Loyalty — Loyalty360 agreed, and awarded 7-Eleven Gold for Mobile First Customer Experience in 2021. 

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