Promoting the in-store experience
Although online influence remains key, it’s still what happens in stores that determines if millennials will return in the future, GasBuddy says. A large portion of millennials prefer visiting brick-and-mortar stores compared to shopping online, according to a recent Accenture study.
GasBuddy cites Kum & Go and Tulsa, Okla.-based QuikTrip as examples.
West Des Moines, Iowa-based Kum & Go launched its new Marketplace stores last year that feature a fresh-food market, open kitchen, outdoor seating, complimentary Wi-Fi, device charging stations and a beer cooler with domestic, imported and craft beer selections, as well as growlers to take home. QuikTrip opened its first nonfuel store last summer in Atlanta. The site is equipped with healthy, made-to-order food options and outdoor seating.
Such additions demonstrate ways a quality customer experience can help attract more consumers and drive profits, says GasBuddy.