Bi-Lo has announced the launch of a new program called "fuelperks!" that will enable area residents in and around Wilkes County to save money on gas by doing something they normally do - buy groceries. Beginning last Wednesday, every time Bi-Lo customers make a purchase with their new "My Bi-Lo BonusCard," they not only save money on their grocery bill, but they earn discounts to be used at the pump.

The fuelperks! program represents a completely new way of saving money on gas in the area, and it's simple to use. For every $50 a shopper spends at Bi-Lo, he receives a five-cent-per-gallon reward applied to the My Bi-Lo BonusCard that is used at the pump to roll down the price of gas. The $50 threshold can be achieved through multiple visits to Bi-Lo and it is all tracked automatically - and immediately in "real time" - through the new BonusCard.

There is no limit to the amount of fuelperks! rewards a customer can earn. So, if a shopper and his or her family spend $200 over the course of several weeks or in a single visit, they accumulate a 20-cent-pergallon reward. Customers are able to redeem their fuelperks! rewards by swiping their full-size Bonus- Card in the card reader at any of the participating BP stations. The price per gallon on all grades of gas will automatically roll down by the amount of fuelperks! rewards earned and the customer can pump up to 20 gallons of gasoline per visit. The Bi-Lo store in Washington is participating in the program.

"fuelperks! is a valuable addition to our ongoing efforts to help our customers save money in a time when our economies are suffering," said Michael Byars, president and CEO of Bi-Lo. "Our customers can continue to rely on Bi-Lo for every day grocery savings with their new My Bi-Lo BonusCard, but now there's the added bonus of saving on gas as well."

Byars added, "One of the great features of fuelperks! is its ease of use. Customers simply buy groceries using their new My Bi-Lo BonusCard. Then they swipe the card at the gas pump of a participating station and enjoy watching the price of their gas roll down."

Bi-Lo is working with Excentus Corporation, the provider of fuelperks!, to launch the program. According to Excentus officials, Bi-Lo will be the only grocery store chain in the area to offer the fuelperks! program. Through Excentus, Bi-Lo is working with BP to provide gas stations within close proximity to Bi-Lo stores. Bi-Lo officials said that the ability to provide redemption sites close to Bi-Lo stores and the reputation for good customer service were deciding factors in the selection. A list of participating BP stations can be found in stores or online.

Bi-Lo customers will need the new My Bi-Lo BonusCard to redeem fuelperks! rewards. Converting to the new card is free and easy, requiring a quick stop at a Bi-Lo store to have customer's old card scanned, where all existing data from the old card will be retained and transferred to the new card. It will also be simple for shoppers new to Bi-Lo to get their My Bi-Lo BonusCard. All Bi-Lo shoppers will continue to enjoy everyday savings with their My Bi-Lo BonusCard and will be able to take advantage of other popular Bi-Lo customer appreciation programs - all with the added bonus of gas savings.

"Bi-Lo is very proud to introduce this exciting program to our customers in the area and are thrilled that we can now help them save on gas while providing them with the same great value on groceries," Byars said. "We've worked hard to lower our operating costs in the past few years through various green initiatives and supply chain efficiencies, and we're passing these savings on to our customers through fuelperks!."