PARADISE, Nev. -- Terrible Herbst used Gilbarco’s Impulse countertop merchandising platform to help spread some holiday cheer.
Through the fuel dispenser supplier's technology, the convenience-store retailer achieved a record-setting donation to the 19th annual 98.5 KLUC Chet Buchanan Show Toy Drive in Las Vegas. The drive started Nov. 30 and ended Dec. 11.
With the help of Gilbarco’s Impulse and Passport point-of-sale (POS) system, donations increased 6.5% over 2016 levels for a total of $49,000. In 2016, customers reacted to Impulse’s donation feature (as measured by interactions) 80,000 times. The level increased to 96,642 interactions in 2017 for an increase of 21%.
Impulse is a basket-based, suggestive-selling solution that uses behind-the-scenes tech to display relevant and colorful offers, games, surveys and programs such as the toy drive to customers before, during and after checkout. It integrates with Gilbarco's Passport POS system and the store’s pricebook to power an automated upselling feature that generates displays at the checkout counter meant to increase basket size and overall sales. In this case, Terrible Herbst programmed Impulse to prompt shoppers at checkout to donate $1, $2 or $5 to HELP of Southern Nevada, which helps coordinate and distribute donations for the toy drive. The acronym stands for "housing, emergency services, life skills and prevention."
Last year was the first time Terrible Herbst used Impulse to prompt and tabulate donations. It increased donations, especially as patrons became accustomed to the interactive touchscreen. In prior years, cashiers had to ask customers for donations. While they continued to do so in 2017, Impulse carried more of the transactional burden, speeding up the process and allowing busy cashiers to focus more on customer interaction, especially at peak times.
“We’re finding more and more ways to use Impulse,” said Mark Walters, vice president of sales and marketing for Terrible Herbst. “It’s really versatile. While it helps generate incremental in-store sales, it also helps us support our civic goals by allowing us to give back to our community in a more efficient, measurable and significant way. Of course, the generosity of our customers is extraordinary. We couldn’t do it without them and the technology simply facilitates the process."
“Impulse helps c-stores engage with customers in a variety of ways,” said Eric Bagden, director of retail solutions for Gilbarco, Greensboro, N.C. “In tandem with our Passport POS system, Impulse allows c-stores to grow their business, build brand loyalty and gain and utilize insights to customer wants and needs. Impulse gives retailers another touchpoint to reach their customers, consistently with every transaction, and we’re always pleased when businesses like Terrible Herbst use the power of Impulse to help others in its communities.”
With more than 250 lanes of Impulse installed across its network, Terrible Herbst continues to use Impulse to help enable its business strategy, increasing sales, providing a more pleasant customer experience and giving back to its local community.
Founded in 1937, Terrible Herbst is a privately-held gas station company based in Paradise, Nev. The company operates gas stations in Nevada, California, Utah and Arizona. It sells gas, groceries, and other products, as well as car-wash and oil-change services. It also sells gift cards and car-wash plans online.
Gilbarco Veeder-Root is a supplier of retail and commercial fueling operations offering a range of integrated solutions from the forecourt to the convenience store and head office. Major product lines include: fuel dispensers, pump media, POS systems, payment systems, tank gauges, software development and integration, fleet management systems, and nozzles.
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