Imagine the “c-store of the future.” Does it have electric-car charging stations? Panoramic, interactive multimedia displays? A sushi chef, full-service barista and 15-foot salad bar?
Maybe. Or maybe it’s better to first determine the “what”: the consumer needs and expectations that, once fulfilled, will drive the most traffic to your c-store. Then you can tackle the “how,” with your budget, markets and individual consumer base in mind.
The CSP-Technomic survey underlines several “fish hooks” you can use to reel customers in and keep them engaged. They include:
Get Large and in Charge
About half of consumers told Technomic that they would probably visit their favorite c-store more often if it were remodeled into a larger format. As you dig down into the demographics, you see younger consumers—Generations X to Z—are most enthusiastic. In fact, 52% of Generation Z (16- to 19-year-olds) and 60% of millennials said they would be willing to go out of their way to visit a large-format store.
And although not as dramatic, the data also skews regionally: Those who live in the Northeast and South (79% and 80%, respectively) and those who live in a city are more likely to prefer larger sites.
What’s so great about large? The bigger store suggests greater variety within; in fact, nearly 70% of consumers are likely to visit a site with a wide variety of food and beverages.
This relationship between size and food is confirmed by the following finding: Forty-three percent of all consumers would be more likely to visit a larger-format c-store instead of a restaurant for food. And for Generation Z and millennials, this figure bumps up to 46% and 53%, respectively.
Communicate Clean
A whopping 83% of consumers say a store’s cleanliness would likely affect their c-store choice.
Because 38% of consumers who drive to a c-store to buy fuel do not go inside the store, retailers must master the art of cleanliness for those relatively rare moments when they do darken the retail doorway. This is doubly true for women, 91% of whom say a clean store is likely to affect their loyalty to a particular site.
One way to communicate clean and win over women: touch-free bathroom fixtures, such as hand dryers, faucets and toilets. Nearly 70% of women agree that touch-free fixtures are important (compared to 55% of men).
And just as with the larger store format, cleanliness is connected like a guy-wire to foodservice, signaling to consumers the validity of the offer.
Loyal Following
Once you’ve got them in, how do you get them to return? Low prices, a convenient location, a clean store, friendly staff , good food and beverage options and a well-organized layout that promises a quick in and out are top loyalty drivers for consumers.
Half say they would be persuaded by a loyalty or rewards program to visit one c-store over another. This is especially true of younger consumers, who are an interesting—but not mutually exclusive—mix of cash-strapped and tech-savvy.
Little more than half also say they would be likely to use a rewards program that tracks purchases. And this figure skews even greater for consumers ages 16 to 34, 86% of whom own a smartphone (compared to 68% overall).
The findings offer a clear directive: Harness mobile technology to provide a low-price opportunity—whether that means offering mobile coupons, special deals or earning points toward a discount.
Click here to view the supporting data for this analysis.
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