In recent months, Unleaded 88 (E15) has beaten the odds of a difficult fuel market. While Unleaded 88 has seen substantial growth during the last couple of years—increasing from 500 sites selling the fuel in 2017 to nearly 2,300 sites today—sales have continued to expand even amid the COVID-19 pandemic. In fact, in 2020 alone, we’ve seen a 10% increase in retailers offering Unleaded 88.
What makes Unleaded 88 different? For starters, the biofuel boasts a loyal consumer base. The quality and performance of the fuel helps to retain new customers, keeping sales on a steady incline. And having a consumer’s preferred fuel is crucial for retailers looking to drive more traffic to their store; according to Consumer Behavior at the Pump, a 2019 report from the National Association
of Convenience Stores, 47% of consumers say they prefer a certain c-store chain due to the quality of its fuel. Also, a recent GasBuddy study stated that 22% of the 14,000 consumers surveyed stated they would select a store offering Unleaded 88 over a store that didn’t select Unleaded 88.
Given that Unleaded 88 has continued to recruit new customers during the pandemic, it’s even more promising to look at the potential growth ahead. According to Technomic’s Q3 2020 C-Store Consumer MarketBrief, 60% of consumers who commuted before the pandemic are now traveling to and from work again. And, given that paying for fuel is the main reason consumers enter the c-store and that fuel customer conversion was up in Q3 from the previous quarter, locking in fuel sales in the coming months will be key to boosting profits across categories.
Consumer demand for Unleaded 88 is growing, and most retailers already have compatible equipment to store and dispense it on their sites. And to further ensure success, Growth Energy offers crucial expertise for each step—from evaluating on-site compatibility to marketing the fuel to each retailer’s specific consumer base. To match the pace of growing fuel markets and Unleaded 88 sites, Growth Energy is currently expanding its market development team to ensure top-notch service as the industry stretches its footprint into new frontiers. We look forward to sharing some exciting updates at the start of 2021.
In the meantime, please reach out to Growth Energy’s unmatched Market Development team to ensure that the transition to selling Unleaded 88 is as smooth as possible. From assessing on-site compatibility, to equipping retailers with key marketing information, to providing resources for curious consumers, Growth Energy offers everything retailers need to take advantage of all Unleaded 88 has to offer.
To learn more about Unleaded 88 (E15) and access Growth Energy’s retailer resources, click here.
This post is sponsored by Growth Energy