Kwik Stop has installed new LED 4-by-6-foot outdoor digital signs from Watchfire at its convenience stores in Nebraska and Colorado to draw more people into its stores and promote specific products, the supplier said.
To date, the new signs from Danville, Illinois-based Watchfire have been installed in 23 Kwik Stop stores in the two states, with four more locations expected to install new signs by the summer, Watchfire said.
“Our old signs were an eye-sore, and we worried that this could cause potential customers to skip a visit,” said Sean O’Neill, Kwik Stop’s director of business development. “Now, our signage is clean, modern and crisp. Our stores have great curb appeal.”
Kwik Stop also has purchased Watchfire’s Price Watcher digital gas price signs, which can be changed efficiently, Watchfire said, noting retailers also can lease its signs.
Changing signage to match new prices at the pump is important to compliance with the Federal Trade Commission’s truthful pricing and marketing laws, which guard against deceptive advertising.
Watchfire uses a cloud-based system, based on OPx software, to give retailers flexibility in putting up new content and providing employee access to make changes to signage content as inventory levels change. The system can be operated from handheld remote control devices or point-of-sale systems. “Our Electronic Message Centers typically communicate through 4G wireless and are controlled by our proprietary cloud-based application, Ignite OPx,” Watchfire said.
“Some chains or franchise networks encourage individual stores to create and schedule their own messages,” Watchfire said. Others prefer to manage the messaging from a central location.
To boost the effectiveness of the signs, Watchfire’s Corporate Program Director Andrew Bacher recommends using big, bold and basic messages. “Customers may only have a couple of seconds to catch a driver’s attention, and they want them to quickly see the display and understand the message,” he said in a press release. Use type fonts that are large, thick and with contrast from the background, he said.
Watchfire designs and engineers durable outdoor LED signs, indoor displays, digital billboards and video scoreboards. It has manufactured LED signs since 1998 and electric signs for over 90 years.
Kwik Stop, based in North Platte, Nebraska, is a privately held company with locations in Nebraska and Colorado. All locations offer fuel 24 hours a day, according to the company’s website. Some Kwik Stop locations offer fresh deli food, pizza and franchised food operations.
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