At Festival Foods, the Wisconsin supermarket chain, rewards now run through a new app: according to the chain, shoppers scan the app’s barcode or enter a phone number at checkout. The chain also says the old app will no longer work with Festival Foods.
Festival Foods announced a program called Festival Rewards on Monday, Nov. 2, 2026, and Grocery Dive reported it on Nov. 4. Members earn 10 points for every $1 spent on qualifying groceries.
What 10 Points per $1 Is Worth
The chain’s own Festival Rewards page spells out the math: spending $50 earns 500 points, and 500 points equal $1.00 back in savings. That works out to the 2% back on qualifying in-store and online purchases that Grocery Dive described, with points staying active as long as the account stays open.
Festival Foods’ chief operating officer, Adam Whitney, said in a statement that the program was designed to deliver more savings, more value and a better overall experience, and that it is built to grow over time with more ways to save on weekly groceries.
The program adds personalized digital offers and exclusive digital coupons. Grocery Dive said the new app and website also offer weekly ad browsing, digital coupon clipping and “Click N Go” pickup and delivery options.
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The Welcome Offers for New Members
New members get a $5 welcome offer on the next purchase, according to the chain. A 250-point bonus is added when a birthday is entered in the profile, and a birthday reward is part of the program, Grocery Dive noted.
The rollout is tied to the chain’s 80th anniversary. From Oct. 14 to Dec. 1, new Festival Rewards members receive a free offer each week. Festival Foods was founded in 1946 by Paul and Jane Skogen as Skogen’s IGA in Onalaska, Wisconsin, Wikipedia reports, and the company was sold to The 1939 Group in 2025.
The weekly offer window closes on Dec. 1, which leaves about three weeks from Nov. 13. Anyone who wants all of the offers has a short stretch left to join.
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The Catch: A New Account and a New App
Existing Gas Rewards accounts do not carry over automatically. The chain said they will not be moved to Festival Rewards, so shoppers need to create a new profile in the new app or on the website, Grocery Dive reported.
The old app is also out. According to the chain’s FAQ, the new rewards program is not available in the old app, and the old app will no longer work with Festival Foods. The chain’s page says the account can be opened at checkout with the app’s barcode or a phone number, but either way it has to be the new account.
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Other Grocers Are Reworking Their Programs Too
Festival Foods is not alone. Grocery Dive wrote that it joins a group of grocers sprucing up loyalty programs to attract price-conscious shoppers, and named The Fresh Market, which revamped its program and launched its first native app, and Wakefern, which overhauled its legacy system with an AI-powered platform from Eagle Eye.
Kroger changed its own program in June 2026. Shoppers can now redeem points for $1 off in-store or online grocery purchases for every 100 points, with a daily cap of $10, Grocery Dive reported. Kroger chief executive Greg Foran had told investors that the retailer’s promotions had become too complicated and that he wanted “simpler, more consistent everyday value.”
In New York, Market 32 and Price Chopper cut everyday prices on more than a thousand grocery staples and moved their AdvantEdge Rewards program from points to cash value, according to The Shelby Report. Rewards now show as dollars on receipts, with 515 points appearing as $5.15, and the program covers the grocer’s 128 stores. The Shelby Report also said members earned 2% back on nearly everything through Nov. 7, double the program’s normal rate, so that promotion has ended.
The chain’s FAQ answers a few more practical questions. Online Click N Go orders, including delivery, can be started in the new app while earning points and redeeming digital coupons, and the page says online prices match in-store prices. Points and rewards do not expire as long as the account stays active, and an account counts as inactive after a year with no activity.
Kroger’s version works differently, per Grocery Dive: customers typically earn one point per dollar, and members of its fee-based Boost program earn at twice that rate. Points redeemed for fuel save 10 cents per gallon for every 100 points, up to $1 per gallon.
What to Compare Before Switching Cards
Each program counts value differently. Festival Foods uses 10 points per dollar with 500 points equal to $1, Kroger uses 100 points for $1 with a $10 daily cap, and Market 32 and Price Chopper skip points entirely and show dollars. The points number alone says little, so the useful number is the cash value behind it.
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For Festival Foods shoppers, the practical steps are the new app, a new account and the weekly new-member offer, which runs through Dec. 1.
This article was produced with AI assistance and edited for accuracy against the sources linked above.
Image: Sharon Hahn Darlin – CC BY 2.0/Wikimedia Commons
