10 Ideas to Drive Summer Store Traffic

Hop on one the biggest food trends of the past decade and host a local food truck in your lot. These small, mobile businesses serve everything from doughnuts to gourmet tacos and cupcakes. In 2016, Minneapolis-based retailer Metro Petro partnered with f’real, which provides instore milkshake and smoothie blending systems, to host its f’real food  truck at its site.

Salute your employees by letting them invite three friends or family members to your store for special summer discounts. The long-term benefit to the retailer exceeds the cost of discounting items.

Jeremy Saunders, owner of Saunders Oil Co., Warren, Ill., with five stores in Wisconsin, in  summer has a lunchtime “Cookout Friday.” Saunders rolls out a smoker grill and pop-up tent. “Every week, the grill lights up and the smoke wafts around the neighborhood,” says Ieva Grimm, president of consultancy Synerge, Duncansville, Pa. The offer leads to incremental weekly food sales.

If weekend warriors fueling up won’t come into the store, bring it to them, says Tom Feltenstein, CEO of Power Marketing Academy, West Palm Beach, Fla. “On a Friday or Saturday, have staff bring subs or pizza to customers, and ... the majority will buy something,” he says. He cites one retailer who increased sales of a menu item from 12 to 300 in a day.

Randy Morton, owner of Morton’s c-store in Hallettsville, Texas, made several updates to maximize the outdoor experience at his site. He worked with Fort Worth, Texas-based Paragon Solutions to add exterior “difference makers” such as native foliage, paved stone and stamped concrete, all for less than $5,000. A new dog play area is a hit with travelers with pets, while an old bathtub Morton bought on eBay as a planter for seasonal flowers is an aesthetic conversation starter.

Oasis Stop ‘N Go, Twin Falls, Idaho, just opened a new store that offers drive-thru service. “The store opened a wall and converted it to transparent, full-glass window,” Grimm says. Customers see the cooler within and add beverages to their foodservice ticket. “[An] impulse purchase through drive-thru after the main order is placed is typically looked at as inconvenient, but don’t be so quick to dismiss it,” she says.

Whether it’s a local rib fest, carnival or music festival, summer is the high point for outdoor events. Consider hosting a booth that features some of your c-store’s summer necessities. This could include not only cold bottled water, soft drinks and energy drinks, but also a few popular foodservice staples and HBC necessities.

Pat Determan, owner of Lyons Filling Station in Clinton, Iowa, executes a six-month menu reboot to match the seasons. In the spring-summer period, comfort foods such as meatloaf go away and are supplanted by dogs, burgers and grilled-chicken sandwiches ($3.75 for each). Starting in late March, Determan launches an outdoor grilling program on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays at lunchtime.

Cultivate the next generation of customers with deals for local day camps, especially those within walking distance of your store or stores, Grimm suggests. “Select penny candy or other specials if they come to visit,” she says. “Camps love to find special things to do with kids during the summer months.”

Make frozen carbonated beverages (FCBs) and your stores even more special with  limited-time-only (LTO) or exclusive flavors. Retailers of different sizes have played with this offer, including 7-Eleven Inc., which offers limited-edition varieties such as Sour Patch Redberry; and Speedway, which has its own Mountain Dew Pitch Black variety. Or consider rotating flavors: FillinUp, a concept owned by Rmarts LLC, Deerfield, Ill., switches out its flavors on a seasonal basis. Other retailers bring back winter favorites for “Christmas in July” promotions.