Wingstop launches ‘experience-led’ loyalty program

Wingstop has launched its Club Wingstop loyalty program, and the company is promising to push past discount incentives and toward a more experience-led model. To back up this promise, the chicken-wing chain is partnering with reality TV star Maura Higgins, from “Dancing with the Stars” and “Love Island,” for an exclusive “Club in a Box” experience featuring curated items for members.

Club in a Box is packaged in a designer-inspired Wingstop green bag and includes Higgins-inspired items such as a signature green beret and bag scarf, a JBL Bluetooth speaker, Polaroid camera, gift card and more. Club in a Box drops for Club Wingstop members on wingshop.com for 94 cents (a nod to Wingstop’s first restaurant opening in 1994) starting June 1 at 7 a.m. CT. Limited quantities are available while supplies last.

“There’s always a club everyone wants to get into, and now it’s Club Wingstop,” Higgins said in a statement. “Coming from reality TV, I know how powerful loyalty can be. What I love about Club Wingstop is that it goes all in for the fans who go all in for Wingstop. I had so much fun curating ‘Club in a Box’ to capture that iconic energy.”

Club Wingstop is part of Wingstop’s continued investment in digital marketing, aimed at creating personalized and exclusive experiences through features such as insider perks, early access to new menu items, merch drops, members-only events and points-sharing options.

“Our fans go all in for Wingstop, and Club Wingstop is our way of rewarding that fandom,” Chief Brand Officer Donnie Upshaw said in a statement. “This is bigger than points and perks. We’re building a community where our most loyal fans get access to cultural experiences only Wingstop can deliver, while creating more ways for people to come together, stay in and make Wingstop part of their shared moments.”

Additional Club Wingstop experiences on deck include a suite at WWE SummerSlam, exclusive seats at NBA games and more. The program will also debut at Wingstop’s recently announced House of Flavor experience, featuring secret password entry, exclusive flavors, custom merch and drinks, and signature ranch bottle service.

During the chain’s Q1 earnings call in late April, CEO Michael Skipworth called Club Wingstop a “key strategy we believe can position Wingstop for sustained growth.”

“Club Wingstop is built around a simple premise: members eat first. Given our most engaged guests, access, experiences and benefits that go beyond points and discounts. What differentiates the platform is how it enhances the guest interaction through capabilities like group ordering, point sharing and personalized offers that adapt based on behavior,” he said.

In the program’s pilot market, Wingstop experienced higher reactivation of lapsed users and increased engagement from its most valuable guests.

“Engagement is strong, with roughly half of active guests enrolled and approximately 40% of new guests are signing up,” Skipworth said. “Members are also demonstrating higher check and stronger retention relative to nonmembers.”