Raley’s has built a trusted brand grounded in quality, wellness, and an exceptional in-store experience. Their expansion through new formats and locations has been a smart, strategic move. Now, with rising competition and limited real estate in California and beyond, the next opportunity lies in finding new ways to extend that brand experience — and drive even greater impact without relying solely on physical growth.

That’s why many retailers have embraced a new approach, one that complements existing strategies without requiring additional capital or operational lift.

Upside’s digital marketplace drives incremental trips and spends from uncommitted customers — those not swayed by loyalty programs, promotions, or proximity alone. By influencing these hard-to-win shoppers to choose you more often, Upside helps deliver an additional 1–2% lift in revenue, on top of what your stores are already generating.

In a saturated market, the next phase of growth isn’t just about your store’s layout— it’s about who you bring into your stores. Upside helps ensure that more shoppers are walking through your doors more often.

Uncommitted customers: The key to growth in grocery

The cross-shopping problem

Uncommitted customers put the value of a purchase over loyalty to any particular retailer or brand. You might refer to them as secondary or tertiary customers. Whatever you call them, these cross-shoppers are feeling the effects of inflation more than ever — and making choices that maximize the impact of every dollar. 

Upside survey data shows a Raley’s shopper can visit up to six different banners every month. They’re not just choosing between grocers — they’re mixing in discount retailers and clubs. That fragmentation puts pressure on every transaction, often driving down average revenue per trip. 

Winning the uncommitted customer

These uncommitted customers represent a huge opportunity for Raley’s, particularly because many of them are already in your stores. Winning more trips and bigger baskets from them means offering value that overcomes the unique reason each one chooses to shop elsewhere — whether it’s price, convenience, habit, or perception.

At the same time, it must be done in a way that leads to profit and sustainable growth, an important distinction. Discounted prices, for example, can boost sales, but risk trading growth for margin erosion. Footprint expansion requires significant investment and yields slower returns, especially with big-box retailers crowding trade areas with their own aggressive growth strategies. 

A fresh approach to growth: Upside’s marketplace

By securing exclusive share on Upside, Raley’s can bring in uncommitted customers and generate revenue equivalent to opening additional stores without the overhead, upfront costs, or delay. Upside’s digital marketplace reaches 35 million consumers through our app and partner network, with high user density in Raley’s primary markets. Personalized, margin-bound promotions connect you with local, high-intent customers, cutting through friction and delivering the right value at the right time to drive real visits and spend.

The revenue Upside drives to your business leads to profit because our measurement methodology recognizes when a transaction is incremental for the retailer. If an existing customer joins Upside and behaves the exact same as they did without Upside, we pay for the promotion in full.  

Real, validated results for grocery retailers

2% same-store sales lift for Schnucks

Schnucks, another regional grocer based in the Midwest, joined Upside in 2021 to increase its customer acquisition capabilities and increase shopper engagement. In the first two years, Upside drove incremental revenue equivalent to two new stores for Schnucks. That incremental revenue represented a 2% lift in same-store sales, achieved primarily by a 60% increase in the number of visits that infrequent and occasional customers were making. 

Schnucks’ independent analysis validated Upside’s results, reinforcing that its investment in the program is worth growing. 

What Upside could do for Raley’s

Upside is an efficient, zero-risk way to grow that’s been shaped by top-performing grocers. In 2025, as Raley’s focuses on providing the best in-store experience, Upside’s support in driving same-store sales to your footprint is critical.

Joining Upside means introducing more shoppers to Raley’s fresh, high-quality offerings—from Purely Made to your butcher’s counter—driving sustained growth without sacrificing margin.

Get in touch with our team of grocery experts to learn more.