On Tuesday, CSP Daily News announced record in-store sales of $233 billion for 2016—a 3.2% increase over 2015—as well as a third-consecutive year of record profits. A year of low gas prices sent fuel sales down 9.2% from 2015 (despite fuel volume being up by 2.6%).
How can retailers keep this momentum going and continue to drive customers from the pump to the store? Through a mix of modern-day technology and old-school customer service, there are myriad ways to draw more consumers in—and keep them coming back.
6 High-Tech (and High-Touch) Ways to Move Sales Beyond the Pump
1. Embrace technology and its potential
Traditional methods of drawing customers into stores, such as desirable location and conventional marketing campaigns, are being quashed by brands who are focused on delivering multi-channel, individualized, integrated experiences designed with the tech-savvy, mobile consumer in mind.
2. Employ technology as a tool for listening, then engaging
You don’t own your brand anymore, your customers do. Listen to what your customers are saying about your brand and determine actionable ways to improve your in-store experience. Then, begin engaging. As retailers, if you aren’t part of the conversation, it could negatively affect your bottom line.
3. Use technology to grab “low-hanging fruit”
By paying attention customer ratings and reviews, you can quickly correlate a decline in sales or foot traffic to a problem at the pumps and take quick action.
4. Build consumer engagement through rewards and promotions
Rewards, promotions and other targeted engagements all work to build customer loyalty and, in turn, increase basket size. “These campaigns change user behavior,” says Levi Hamilton, VP and General Manager of GasBuddy’s Canada operations. “Loyalty is gold.”
5. Connect the virtual and physical worlds
The rising use of mobile devices helps retailers and marketers track consumer behavior, habits and preferences wherever they go. This provides you with insight on what customers prefer physically—opening the door to enhance their world digitally through push notifications and more.
6. Stay customer-centered and service-focused
Explore how you can create a level of customer service or a loyalty program that makes your destination so desirable it makes location and product selection a moot point.
Check out GasBuddy’s special report in the April issue of CSP Magazine for more!