More than half of consumers say visiting a c-store is not a part of their daily routine. Sixty-seven percent do not plan their visits ahead of time. And 17% who visit a c-store less than once a week say nothing could convince them to visit more often.
Clearly, c-stores have room for improvement. Some of this is simply a matter of more consistently executing on the basics and opportunities already discussed. But some of it shows a large gulf between consumer expectations and business realities.
The expectation: Three in five consumers expect to see more alternative-fuel options available at gas stations within the next five years. And consumers ages 35 to 54 are the most likely to expect these options.
The reality: Gasoline has nearly 72% share of the liquid fuels market, with diesel at just more than 28%, according to the Energy Information Administration (EIA). Liquid fuels will continue to provide the vast majority of energy sources for transportation fuel through 2040.
The expectation: Three-fifths of consumers say they would likely use made-to-order food or beverage stations at c-stores, with burgers, sandwiches, pizza, french fries and hot dogs their top choices. Half would use made-to-order coffee beverage offers. And half say more healthful food would encourage more prepared-food purchases.
The reality: While retailers such as Rutter’s, Sheetz and Wawa have reached amazing heights in their foodservice offer, the majority of c-store operators are far from the ideal. According to the 2014 CSP Outlook Survey [CSP—Dec. ’14, p. 97], only a quarter of retailers offer a made-to-order program.
To what degree can you equate expectation with demand? It is not a direct translation, and maybe not concrete enough to act on yet. But complacency could be even more of a dangerous path to take.
About Technomic
Technomic delivers a 360-degree view of the c-store and foodservice industries. The firm utilizes nearly 50 years of consumer-grounded vision and channel-relevant strategic insights, research, consulting and solutions to drive clients’ growth and profitability. Visit technomic.com.
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