Incentive travel drives independent store owner achievement

An incentive program for independent store owners boosted sales by 300%, unified brand culture, and rewarded training, marketing and store presentation excellence.

automotive retail incentive travel program participant

NAPA Auto Parts’ independent store owners weren’t investing in their business, which was causing sales and customer loyalty decreases. The company needed to unify owners to boost product sales, elevate brand consistency and increase corporate program adoption. Launching an incentive travel program motivated store owners to embrace training, certification and brand-aligned practices. The result? A significant sales lift among top performers, stronger customer experiences and long-term loyalty to NAPA’s brand. What started as a reward program transformed store owners—and developed a lasting partnership.

Earning period incentivizes owners to increase sales

In collaboration with NAPA brand leaders, we designed and managed the earning period, including a robust communications campaign to build program awareness and analysis, and ensure ROI.

Client objectives

  • Increase overall product sales by 7% year over year
  • Create best practices for independent store owners
  • Build independent store loyalty toward brand-specific products
  • Ensure independent retail location employees are trained and certified
  • Encourage adoption of corporate advertising programs

Incentive travel multichannel promotions

As a result, independent store owners invested in their businesses, driving sales and customer loyalty.

  • Store presentation: Developed a consistent appearance and advertising standards for independent stores that promoted the corporate brand
  • Training and certification: Encouraged ASE certification and store-specific training among their employees for elevated customer service
  • Wholesale marketing: Targeted B2B customer channels that boosted sales

We have never had the chance to go places like this until we became part of the NAPA family.

Program award winner

Attendee-driven experiences influence incentive trip planning

Once store owners earned a spot on the trip, we rewarded their hard work with tailored travel experiences that served as family vacations for many.

Customized program design

Proven experience and past program analytics informed the program strategy. Each year, a refined, relevant incentive travel solution enticed stores to voluntarily adhere to desired organizational best practices and increase sales.

Consistent communications

Reaching 1,900+ participants with a strategic communications campaign reinforced the incentive travel opportunity bimonthly.

User-friendly registration platform and app

From the moment participants learned about the year-long earning opportunity until event registration, they had 24/7 access to key program details and personal data related to their progress and success.

Incentive travel destinations

Each annual trip included a new premier destination and exclusive on-site experiences. Whether headed to beachy locales surrounded by sun and sand, or historic and cultural immersions, incomparable hospitality and service delighted guests.

Incentive travel drives long-term culture

Annual analysis revealed the program wasn’t just part of the NAPA culture—it drove performance. The personalized experiences sent participants on a journey unlike anything they could book on their own. Program winners contributed to a 300% greater increase in sales.

60%

of eligible store owners achieved award-winning status at least once since 2002

17%

average sales increase by award-winning independent retail locations

35%

of winners annually were first-time achievers