Today’s Forecourt: Opportunities to Convert Customers from the Pump

Today’s convenience store forecourt offers one thing to retailers and customers alike—opportunity. For retailers, the forecourt represents the opportunity to convince customers to make an additional purchase beyond the gas pump. For customers, the modern forecourt should be an opportunity to quickly and safely make a fuel purchase while learning of a store’s promotions. Gas station customers have 3 motivations when they arrive on your property:

1. They have to fill up their tank. As we know from NACS, 80% of fuel sold in the U.S. is sold at a convenience store chain. Filling up could be their sole motivation.
2. They need to fill up their tank and use the restroom. That’s a common scenario for customers traveling during the summer months and an ideal opportunity to upsell during their pit stop.
3. They fill up their tank and purposely stop for beverages, snacks, cigarettes or perhaps even a lottery ticket. That’s a c-store retailer’s ideal customer—the customer who is already interested in entering the store.

But let’s not give up on the other two kinds of customers and let’s not take that third type for granted. The forecourt is an opportunity not only to upsell, but also to promote brand loyalty. It’s a positive experience with efficient and friendly service that makes these customers return. In order to provide a positive experience, retailers need to create a forecourt environment that fits all three of these characteristics:

1. Well-lit, clean and inviting. If it’s not a safe, inviting and sanitary environment, a customer might not go the extra distance to use your restroom, nevermind purchase a food product.
2. Functional. Is your equipment working? Are the pumps and credit card terminals functional? Do you monitor for security? A security breach can damage your brand and lead customers to choose your competitor down the street.
3. Promotional. You can have the best merchandise mix in your store and the most thorough attention to detail. But if you’re not advertising new products at your forecourt, that’s going to be a problem for moving customers into your store. The forecourt has numerous surfaces and vantage points that can be used to advertise to customers, whether on the actual gas pumps or standing signs. There is an opportunity to integrate small screens and digital signage technology into the modern forecourt as well.

Keeping Up With Trends

The convenience and fuel retailing industry has never been one that stands still, so expect more changes to the forecourt in the near future. As discussed in a recent Convenience Store Decisions article, the future of the convenience forecourt will be better lighting, more touchscreens for ordering, more drive-thrus, and more outdoor seating. We already see retailers across the nation implementing these changes. Now is the time to start finding out what works for your brand. Implement a change—perhaps an upgrade to promotional signage—and measure the outcome. Define a set of core criteria for converting customers from the forecourt and audit your stores to make sure they’re implementing these best practices. By optimizing conversion of sales now, you’ll be better positioned to implement the design of the future when the time comes. SEE ALSO Converting Your Forecourt into a Moneymaker Auditing Branded Gas Station Forecourts Can Increase Supplier Payments How to Conduct a Property Inspection