RALEIGH, N.C. — As a result of the pandemic, many consumers are opting for a summer vacation by car rather than traveling by plane. According to Deloitte, in April 29% of U.S. consumers had plans to rent a car and travel for leisure within the next three months.
This is good news for convenience-store retailers, which will likely see an uptick in traffic to their stores as consumers seek food and fuel options while embarking on road trips. To prepare for these visitors, retailers must consider how shopper behavior has changed since the beginning of the pandemic.
Order-Ahead Options
In the past year, consumers have turned to their mobile devices in search of safe shopping options that limit their time spent in physical stores. By providing order-ahead options, retailers can help consumers reduce the time they spend roaming aisles and instead scroll through their options. These options can be provided by a mobile device—whether an app or website interface—or a connected IoT (internet of things) device in a vehicle.
In a recent NACS study, retailers surveyed anticipated growth in several c-store categories, including cold beverages, coffee and prepackaged foods. Ensuring that customizable options for soda, coffee and breakfast items are easy to navigate through an app or interface can incentivize shoppers to choose your brand.
Contactless Payments
Many road-trippers use convenience stores as a pit stop, or a chance to refuel the car, grab a snack and stretch their legs. Even when these consumers choose to shop in a store, in hindsight of the pandemic, they might also have a desire to limit the time spent in that store or reduce the number of interactions required to complete a purchase. It should come as no surprise that the use of in-store mobile payments grew 29% last year, according to eMarketer.
Contactless payments are an efficient way to eliminate physical touch, as well as minimize checkout lines and wait time. As more payment options appear and the point-of-sale expands, retailers must give their shoppers choices for how to interact. Great options include tap-and-pay credit cards, mobile pay or QR codes.
Personalized Offers
If consumers have an affinity with a specific retailer for fuel, in-store offerings are a chance to inspire further loyalty. Even better, with consumers already using their phones to order and pay for products, personalized messages and offers can be sent directly to a consumer.
For example, a retailer can offer a sixth cup of coffee for free after the purchase of five, or a discount on chips when bought with a sandwich.
When consumers use their mobile devices, the data shared benefits them directly, further incentivizing them to keep using their mobile device and shop with the specific retailer. As a result, this loyalty also benefits the retailer.
New Demands
With the summer season quickly approaching, it’s time c-store retailers brush up on their offerings. Today’s consumers don’t have the same behaviors from a year ago, and retailers can’t remain stagnant, either. Now is the perfect time to evaluate the technology behind the point-of-sale, payments and mobile offerings, all critical touchpoints. Whether a consumer stops for fuel, snacks, prepared meals or all three, give them every reason to do business with you.
Michael Jaszczyk is CEO of GK Software, a retail solutions software company based in Raleigh, N.C.