Convenience retail has long treated loyalty as a numbers game: lower the price, raise the frequency. However, new research from Raleigh, North Carolina-based global industrial technology company Vontier “suggests something deeper is shaping American behavior at the pump and in the store. For the industry’s most frequent visitors, loyalty looks less like economics and more like familiarity.”
A national survey of more than 600 U.S. drivers, conducted in January, reveals a clear divide, Vontier said. Casual drivers still shop transactionally, but the 24% who stop multiple times a week—“the superusers who drive disproportionate revenue”—are loyal for reasons that have nothing or little to do with discounts. They return because the store feels familiar, safe and part of their daily rhythm. In their world, the convenience store is not a pit stop; it is a place that feels like theirs.
“If you want a customer to visit once a month, talk to their wallet,” said Andy Bennett, group president of convenience retail at Vontier. “If you want them to visit every day, you have to talk to their heart.”
Vontier’s research shows that the most frequent visitors are not chasing a cents-off coupon; they crave the feeling of community, Bennett said.
The cultural logic of loyalty
The findings point to a shift in the American psyche: The more often someone visits, the less price may matter, Vontier said.
“Loyalty behaves like identity, shaped by routine, geography and the subtle social cues that make a place feel welcoming,” Vontier said, adding that several forces are accelerating this shift.
The first is friendly service over rewards. Frequent visitors value being known more than being discounted. For them, loyalty is social, not mathematical. It is the nod from the cashier, the predictable rhythm of the stop and the feeling that this is their store.
The second is safety and predictability. Sixty-seven percent of drivers prioritize well-lit, reliable sites, which elevates the convenience store into a third place—the space between home and work where people feel grounded and welcome. When a store consistently feels right, it becomes part of a person’s daily orbit.
Third is food as culture. With 64% of millennials and 67% of Gen Z stopping specifically for food and beverage, the forecourt is shifting from a commodity stop to a cultural hub. Food choices signal identity, taste and belonging, and younger drivers treat the convenience store as a place to express that. It is not just fuel; it is flavor, routine and micro-community.
Next is the car wash as a lifestyle habit. For younger drivers, a clean car is a point of pride and a vital part of their weekly routine. Gen Y and Gen Z are 50% more likely than boomers to visit a convenience location specifically for a car wash. Furthermore, nearly 40% of Gen Z drivers say they would use a car wash more often if it were bundled into a loyalty reward or subscription plan, transforming a standard chore into a seamless, automated lifestyle perk.
Finally, there’s EV dwell time. Across multiple independent studies, a clear majority of EV drivers choose charging locations based on experience factors such as safety, lighting, amenities and overall site quality. This means charging time becomes cultural time—a moment to engage, browse, eat or simply exist in a place that feels familiar.
“As food, amenities and experience reshape expectations, the forecourt is no longer defined by price signs,” Vontier said. “It is defined by culture—by the stores that feel like part of a customer’s life, not just part of their route. Vontier’s research suggests the operators who win the next decade will be those who use technology to reclaim the human touch, transforming convenience retail from a commodity business into a community anchor.”
Vontier is a global industrial technology company uniting productivity, automation and multienergy technologies to meet the needs of a rapidly evolving, more connected mobility ecosystem.
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