Christy Mihos, owner of the Christy’s of Cape Cod chain of convenience stores and unsuccessful independent gubernatorial candidate last November, has made a deal with Stop & Shop Supermarket Cos. that makes its discount gas coupons worth something on Cape Cod, reported the Boston Globe.
Stop & Shop’s 17 stores on the Cape and Islands now give loyalty-card holders who buy at least $50 worth of groceries coupons entitling them to save 10 cents a gallon on fuel bought from Stop & Shop stores that have gas stations.
The problem is that the coupons are useless to customers who live or stay on the Cape, where the closest of the 26 Massachusetts Stop & Shop stores that sell gas are on the other side of the Cape Cod Canal, on the Cranberry Highway.
Among the Stop & Shop officials who heard plenty of grousing from customers was Dick Clifford, manager of the South Yarmouth store where Mihos and his wife, Andrea, do most of their family shopping.
“He mentioned how his customers were complaining about no place to redeem the coupons on-Cape,” Mihos told the Globe. “So my wife told me. And starting Friday, there are places on-Cape to redeem the coupons. I want to give Dick credit for planting the idea. He does care about his customers.”
Mihos and the chain agreed on a deal that allows customers to redeem the coupons at the 12 Christy’s stores that sell gas. Stop & Shop then reimburse Christy’s for half of the discount.