Advance Auto Parts says early results from its newly launched Advance Rewards loyalty program, combined with artificial intelligence (AI)-powered pricing and assortment tools, are helping increase customer engagement and repeat purchases online.
Ron Gilbert, senior vice president of supply chain at Advance Auto Parts, told Digital Commerce 360 via email that the retailer is focused on growing ecommerce sales by deepening customer loyalty. That also ties into increasing repeat engagement among its do-it-yourself (DIY) customer base.
In Q1, he said, Advance Auto Parts launched Advance Rewards. He called it the retailer’s “modernized DIY loyalty program.” It replaces the retailer’s prior Speed Perks program, he noted.
Advance Auto Parts is No. 90 in the Top 1000 Database. The database tracks North America’s largest online retailers, ranking them by annual ecommerce sales and more. Advance Auto Parts is also the highest-ranking retailer in the database’s Automotive Parts & Accessories category.
Advance Auto Parts is also No. 446 in Digital Commerce 360’s all-new AI Rankings. That set of rankings is available in the Top 1000 Pro with AI Database.
Early results from Advance Auto Parts’ loyalty program
“Advance Rewards gives members more flexibility on how they redeem coupons, while also providing exclusive vendor offers, bonus point promotions and other enhanced features designed to create a more compelling digital and omnichannel experience,” Gilbert told Digital Commerce 360.
He called the transition seamless and said the retailer has already noticed “strong early customer engagement.” That showed through:
- An increase in new-member signups.
- Higher program penetration.
- Growth in total transactions from loyalty members.
“These trends suggest that customers are responding positively to the updated program, and that with improved e-commerce engagement and support from repeated purchases, we believe that will improve customer loyalty over time,” Gilbert said.
How is Advance Auto Parts using AI for ecommerce?
Gilbert said Advance Auto Parts has worked on incorporating AI-powered and data-driven technology into its operations for pricing, assortment and customer engagement.
Earlier this year, he said, the retailer deployed a new pricing matrix that it developed with Palantir, an AI software company.
“Our new pricing matrix enables us to make real-time, market-based pricing decisions by channel and SKU, allowing us to offer our best price while remaining competitive in this rational marketplace,” Gilbert said. “The ability to make smarter pricing decisions has improved our customer engagement and encourages repeat purchases. It has also helped us to identify any product gaps and to ensure that the right quantities are available across our stores.”
He also noted that Advance Auto Parts rolled out an AI-powered tool in 2025 for its assortment framework. The tool incorporates vehicle data, market-based factors and customer feedback to better align inventory with market demand, Gilbert shared.
“More broadly, these tools help improve our hard parts coverage in previously underserved regions, creating incremental market share opportunities, and supporting a better experience by making it easier for customers — especially Pros — to find the right parts at the right price,” he stated.
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