Family Express Declares War on “Friction”

VALPARAISO, INDIANA – Family Express Corp. of Valparaiso, IN is announcing the collaboration of some of the most forward-thinking technology providers in the retail space in order to facilitate the strategic reduction of digital friction from its customer engagement experience.

With the evolution of technology and how it impacts consumer behavior and retail, the idea of frictionless experiences has never been more profound. One-click ordering, curbside delivery, no wait check out…consumers want and demand a digital experience that is streamlined across your stores, your products and even your culture.

FE has partnered with a constellation of best-in-class providers to create a technology ecosystem with the ultimate objective of delivering a seamless customer experience consistent with the expectations of today’s and tomorrow’s consumers.

The technology collaboration includes Paytronix as the primary loyalty provider, Olo as the online ordering platform, National Carwash Solutions (NCS) and Big Club Digital for website redevelopment.

“Today’s consumer expects a seamless engagement. Every aspect of the experience, from Payment to Loyalty to Engagement and Communication should be a part of a harmonized technology ecosystem. Technology evolution has made leaps, but it often operates in silos. Our initiative will combine solutions in a way that we can facilitate everything from one-to-one marketing to emerging consumer habits, like “my usual”, “last order” and “favorites”, etc.”, said Gus Olympidis, President and Chief Executive Officer.

The food ordering platform will embrace best practices currently in the marketplace and it will facilitate efficient pick-up and even delivery.

The Car Wash technology will revolutionize the experience with new “smart” kiosks, linked with a newly designed mobile app that will facilitate a host of marketing enhancements. Family Express will be able to sell a technologically redeemable Car Wash code even at locations without a Car Wash. Unlike traditional technology, the codes will be redeemable at ANY FE Car Wash and not limited to the ONE location that issued it. Clifton Dillman, FE Chief Information Officer said, “Customers want something that points to their individualism. Additionally, current practices, like issuing a Car Wash code that is limited to just a particular location is as unfriendly to a consumer as a coupon good at one store only. Today’s consumer is becoming accustomed to a frictionless experience by engaging with those that deliver it. Tomorrow’s consumer WILL EXPECT IT!”

About Family Express
Family Express is a chain of convenience stores and fueling centers. In 2015, FE was awarded the most prestigious award in the Convenience Store Industry, by being named Chain of the Year. In a 2016 independent survey, the Company was ranked at the top among Convenience Store Entities and Customer Service. Family Express was founded in Valparaiso in 1975, and it operates stores throughout Northern and Central Indiana. The Company recently opened its second state-of-the-art Learning Center in Lafayette, IN.

About Paytronix Systems, Inc.
Based in Newton, Massachusetts, Paytronix is a provider of SaaS customer experience management (CXM) solutions for restaurants and convenience store brands. Through its innovative software design and integrations with more than 30 widely used point of sale systems, Paytronix empowers more than 350 brands across 20,000 locations with the flexibility to build frictionless, revenue-enhancing guest experiences. Customers benefit from big data consumer insights that Paytronix generates through 1-to-1 engagement with more than 248 million loyal guests—via mobile, social and today’s most innovative digital marketing tools. As a result, customers motivate their guests to increase spend and drive revenue. www.paytronix.com

About Olo
Olo is the on-demand interface for the restaurant industry, powering digital ordering and delivery for an exclusive network of over 200 restaurant brands across 40,000 locations. Olo’s enterprise-grade software powers every stage of the digital restaurant transaction, from fully-branded guest interfaces to the back-of-house order management features that keep the kitchen running smoothly. Orders from Olo are injected seamlessly into existing systems to help brands capture demand from on-demand channels such as the brand’s website and app, third-party marketplaces, social media channels, and personal assistant devices like the Amazon Echo. www.olo.com

About NCS
Founded in 1973, NCS is the market-leading service and systems provider to the North American car wash industry. NCS has established the only direct, end-to-end customer service and support network with over 320 service technicians nationwide. NCS offers a complete line of CleanTouch cleaning fluid solutions, RO & Reclaim systems and accessories. www.NationalCarwashSolutions.com, www.MacNeilwash.com and www.Ryko.com

About Big Club Digital
Big Club Digital was founded in 2013 to create innovative custom technology solutions for businesses looking for outcomes. Today they are a leading custom boutique integrator for DevOps, Customer Experience, Workflow Management and Internet of Things solutions helping businesses of all types succeed with digital transformation initiatives. In short, they find the fastest way to make your life easier. www.bigclubdigital.com