foot traffic report - gasbuddy...although fuel and convenience retailers are destinations for the...

FOOT TRAFFIC REPORTfor the fuel & convenience retailing industry

2018 YEAR IN REVIEW

2018 ANNUAL FOOT TRAFFIC REPORT | 1

FOOT TRAFFIC REPORT | 2018 Year in Review

GasBuddy examined more than 101 million consumer visits to fuel and convenience retailers in 2018. This data provides actionable insights into consumer behavior and the factors that influence foot traffic.

HIGHLIGHTS:

Costco Claims the Top Spot in 2018Washington-based Costco (250 - 999 locations) captured the most foot traffic per station of any brand in any segment—more than five times the industry average in 2018. Other annual segment winners include Ohio-based Speedway (1,000+ locations), Kentucky-based Thorntons (50 - 249 locations), and Indiana-based Ricker’s (30 - 49 locations). Ricker’s was recently acquired by GetGo—another top-performer. (#5 in the 50 - 249 locations)

Fueling on FridaysFriday was the busiest day for fuel and convenience retailers in 2018, followed by Saturday (2) and Thursday (3). Friday at noon and 5 p.m. Saturday at 4 p.m., Friday at 3 p.m. and Sundays at 1 p.m. round out the top five busiest times.

Memorial Day Weekend #1 Holiday for RetailersExamining the major driving holidays of 2018 including Memorial Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving and Christmas, Memorial Day saw the most uplift in foot traffic across fuel and convenience (45%) as well as other major on-the-go retail categories, including hotels (100%), auto rental (40%), quick service restaurants (35%), casual dining (33%) and coffee shops (38%).

Pilot and Wawa Tie for #1 in the Most StatesTwo brands, Pilot and Wawa, tied for the number one spot by achieving the highest average foot traffic in five states. Costco and Cumberland Farms came in a close second with four wins, and Kroger and Speedway round out third by winning three.

Customer Service: Love it or Hate itWhether it’s good or bad, customer service makes an impression. Less than five percent (4.91%) of GasBuddies’ written reviews for customer service were neutral, while reviews with positive or negative sentiment comprised the remaining 95 percent. This also has an impact on consumer foot traffic. In 2018, fuel and convenience retailers with above-average customer service ratings attracted 25 percent more foot traffic than their below-average counterparts.

FOOT TRAFFIC RANKINGSWhich brands captured the highest average footfall per station?

GasBuddy examined more than 101 million consumer trips to gas stations and convenience stores during 2018. The following brands attracted the highest average footfall within their respective segments.

The Rankings

● 1,000+ locations

● 250 - 999 locations



MethodologyThe footfall ratio equals average footfall per location / average footfall for the industry. A brand on par with the industry average would have a ratio of 1.0.


MethodologyThe footfall ratio equals average footfall per location / average footfall for the industry. A brand on par with the industry average would have a ratio of 1.0.

Speedway

ARCO

Circle K

7-Eleven

Murphy USA

76

Shell

Mobil

Marathon

BP

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

2.61

2.01

1.65

1.47

1.41

1.21

1.16

1.12

1.07

1.05

1,000+ Locations

▲1

▼1

Data from January 1, 2018 to December 31, 2018 ▲▼ Change from 2017 to 2018


TOP 10

Costco

Pilot

Kroger

Love’s

Sam’s Club

Wawa

Sheetz

RaceTrac

QuikTrip

Safeway

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

3.55

5.30

3.53

3.13

3.11

2.90

2.65

2.37

2.30

2.01

▼3

▲1

▲2

▼1


▲1

▲1

▼1


250 - 999 Locations

TOP 10 MethodologyThe footfall ratio equals average footfall per location / average footfall for the industry. A brand on par with the industry average would have a ratio of 1.0.

Thorntons

Meijer

United Dairy Farmers

Family Express

GetGo

Flying J

Duchess

Fry’s

Fred Meyer

Smith’s

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

4.63

3.96

3.72

3.66

3.45

3.05

2.70

2.63

2.37

2.35

▲1


▼1

▲2

▼1

▼1

▲1

▼1


50 - 249 Locations


Ricker’s

Buc-ee’s

Lassus Handy Dandy

On The Run

J&H Family Stores

Road Ranger

PS Food Mart

Holiday Oil (UT)

Dillon Stores

Westar

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

4.13

3.26

2.61

2.56

2.47

1.96

1.86

1.59

1.41

1.39

▼1

▲3


▼1

▼1

NEW!


30 - 49 Locations


FOOT TRAFFIC RANKINGS BY STATEWhich brands captured the highest average footfall in each state?

Results based on brands with a minimum of 20 stations per state; average footfall = total footfall/number of stations.

WESTAK Holiday

AZ QuikTrip

CA Costco

HI 76

ID Maverik

NV Smith’s

OR Fred Meyer

UT Smith’s

WA Costco

CENTRALCO King Soopers

IA Kwik Trip

KS Dillon Stores

MN Kwik Trip

MO On The Run

MT Exxon

ND Casey’s

NE Bucky’s

SD Conoco

WY Maverik

SOUTH CENTRALAR Kroger

LA RaceTrac

NM 7-Eleven

OK Love’s

TX Costco

MIDWESTIL Thorntons

IN Pilot

KY Pilot

MI Kroger

OH Pilot

WI Speedway

SOUTHEASTAL Raceway

FL Costco

GA Pilot

MS Kroger

SC Pilot

TN Speedway

NORTHEASTCT Cumberland Farms

DC Exxon

DE Wawa

MA Pride

MD Wawa

ME Cumberland Farms

NC Sheetz

NH Cumberland Farms

NJ Wawa

NY Speedway

PA Wawa

RI Cumberland Farms

VA Wawa

VT Mobil

WV Sheetz


WHEN DO GASBUDDIES VISIT GAS STATIONS?Although fuel and convenience retailers are destinations for the morning coffee run, they’re relied upon by consumers at all times of the day—especially the lunch hour and evening commute. The two busiest hours throughout 2018 were Fridays at 12:00pm and 5:00pm.

Are You Prepared for the Digital Search Revolution?Did you know that 82% of U.S. smartphone users have performed a “near me” proximity-based search? This trend continues to grow, and it’s changed how consumers find and navigate to local businesses. Millions rely on major location platforms—Google Maps, GasBuddy, Waze, and more—to find what they need, at the very moment they need it.

Is your brand visible wherever consumers search? Unfortunately, many fuel and convenience retailers do not have accurate information on these location platforms. This not only leads to confusion, but it causes their information to look untrustworthy—and become deprioritized in search results.

The Listings Management solution from GasBuddy Business Pages can cleanse your data and publish accurate information to every major platform. Our clients have seen results as high as a 30X return on their investment. For additional information, visit business.gasbuddy.com

Numbers represent the percentage of weekly foot traffic

Day 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23Grand Total

SUN 0.19% 0.13% 0.10% 0.07% 0.06% 0.08% 0.13% 0.23% 0.38% 0.57% 0.76% 0.92% 1.10% 1.07% 1.02% 0.97% 0.93% 0.89% 0.81% 0.69% 0.55% 0.39% 0.26% 0.17% 12.47%

MON 0.11% 0.08% 0.06% 0.06% 0.08% 0.17% 0.32% 0.52% 0.63% 0.71% 0.81% 0.98% 1.13% 1.05% 1.01% 1.04% 1.06% 1.06% 0.90% 0.71% 0.55% 0.39% 0.26% 0.17% 13.87%

TUE 0.10% 0.07% 0.05% 0.05% 0.08% 0.18% 0.34% 0.55% 0.65% 0.70% 0.77% 0.94% 1.09% 1.00% 0.97% 1.02% 1.06% 1.08% 0.93% 0.74% 0.58% 0.42% 0.27% 0.18% 13.84%

WED 0.11% 0.07% 0.06% 0.06% 0.09% 0.18% 0.35% 0.56% 0.66% 0.71% 0.79% 0.95% 1.10% 1.01% 0.98% 1.02% 1.06% 1.09% 0.95% 0.76% 0.62% 0.44% 0.29% 0.19% 14.06%

THU 0.12% 0.08% 0.06% 0.06% 0.09% 0.19% 0.36% 0.58% 0.68% 0.73% 0.81% 0.97% 1.13% 1.03% 1.00% 1.05% 1.09% 1.12% 0.98% 0.79% 0.63% 0.46% 0.31% 0.20% 14.51%

FRI 0.13% 0.09% 0.07% 0.07% 0.09% 0.19% 0.37% 0.61% 0.72% 0.80% 0.91% 1.09% 1.25% 1.19% 1.17% 1.21% 1.24% 1.25% 1.11% 0.91% 0.73% 0.57% 0.41% 0.28% 16.46%

SAT 0.18% 0.12% 0.09% 0.07% 0.07% 0.11% 0.20% 0.35% 0.56% 0.80% 1.00% 1.14% 1.20% 1.16% 1.11% 1.06% 1.01% 0.97% 0.91% 0.79% 0.67% 0.53% 0.40% 0.29% 14.80%

Grand Total

0.95% 0.63% 0.49% 0.43% 0.57% 1.10% 2.07% 3.41% 4.28% 5.02% 5.85% 6.99% 7.98% 7.51% 7.27% 7.37% 7.46% 7.46% 6.58% 5.39% 4.32% 3.20% 2.20% 1.48% 100.00%


CATCH THEM WHILE YOU CANDuring 2018, approximately half (50.49%) of visits to gas stations

and convenience stores lasted for more than 5 minutes.

TOP 5 BUSIESTDAYS & TIMES

BUSIEST DAYS LEAST BUSY TIMESDURING WORK WEEK(Mon - Fri, 8am - 8pm)

12:00 PM5:00 PM

4:00 PM

FRI

SAT

8:00 AMWED

8:00 AMTHU

FRI

SAT

THU

WED

1

2

3

4

MON

TUE

SUN

5

6

7

MON

8:00 AMTUE

3:00 PMFRI

8:00 AM

9:00 AMTUE


< 5 MINUTES

49.52%> 5 MINUTES

50.49%

1:00 PMSUN

RATINGS AND FOOT TRAFFIC How do above and below-average stations fare in terms of foot traffic? .

More than 10.2 million individual ratings were submitted by GasBuddy users in 2018. This real-time consumer feedback not only provides retailers with insight into the customer experience at their stores, but is reflective of the fact that today’s customers care about quality—and tend to vote with their feet.

We conducted an analysis to determine how the foot traffic at stations with above and below-average ratings differs from the industry average.

Analysis: Today’s customers expect high-quality retail experiences. Factors that are easily evaluated prior to a visit—such as forecourt cleanliness and outdoor lighting—make a significant difference in whether a station drives visits or deters them. According to a 2018 GasBuddy survey, 82.5% of frequent convenience store customers said that “store design and upkeep” influences whether or not they visit a store. The same was said about the “cleanliness of the fueling area” by 79.7% of respondents. Retailers who monitor customer experience ratings across their brand can quickly identify individual locations that fall short of their standards and take steps to improve them.

Below-Average StationsAbove-Average Stations

12.10%

-15.70%

9.08%

-12.79%

10.39%

-14.08%

12.75%

-18.86%

4.39%

-6.74%

3.93%

-5.32%

CLEANLINESS RESTROOMSOVERALL OUTDOOR LIGHTINGCUSTOMER SERVICE COFFEE

Are you interested in obtaining these insights for your stations? The Reputation Management solution from GasBuddy Business Pages can help. For more information or a demonstration, visit business.gasbuddy.com or email [email protected]


Do any of your locations fall below brand standards?The Reputation Management solution from GasBuddy Business Pages monitors consumer feedback. For more information or a demonstration, visit business.gasbuddy.com or email [email protected]


CUSTOMER SERVICE DRIVES OR DETERS VISITSBrands that excel at customer experience capture more visits

It’s essential for retailers of all sizes to monitor consumer feedback across their brand. The good, the bad, the in-between—all of it. When specific sites fall below brand standards, quick corrective action can be taken before reputations are damaged and customers lost. When high-performing outliers exist, lessons can be learned and applied to other stations.

Customer service is a unique category since it tends to polarize consumers one way or the other. Food, fuel pumps, and other aspects of the experience generate many neutral reviews. But less than 5% of customer service reviews are neutral. Retailers should pay extra attention to this feedback when monitoring stations across their brand.

Sentiment of Written Reviews Positive Neutral Negative

Overall 37.16% 56.10% 6.74%

Amenities 40.49% 51.86% 7.65%

Access 24.13% 69.22% 6.65%

Food 61.83% 34.09% 4.09%

Fuel Pumps 20.79% 64.63% 14.58%

Customer Service 59.99% 4.91% 35.10%

Payment 20.49% 64.03% 15.48%

Rewards 46.53% 45.64% 7.83%

In 2018, stations with above-average customer service ratings captured 25% more visits than those with below-average

customer experience ratings.

THE POWER OF WRITTEN REVIEWSWord of mouth travels fast and when it is written down, your brand could be affected.

Most PopularPhrases for

+ POSITIVE +Customer Service

Reviews

Most PopularPhrases for

- NEGATIVE -Customer Service

Reviews

Do any of your locations fall below brand standards?The Reputation Management solution from GasBuddy Business Pages monitors consumer feedback. For more information or a demonstration, visit business.gasbuddy.com or email [email protected]


CHRISTMAS & THANKSGIVING TRAVEL TRENDSWhich retailers, restaurants, and travel brands captured the most visits?

Many drivers took to the roads for the 2018 winter holiday season, leading to changes in foot traffic across a variety of retail sectors and related industries. An analysis of long-distance travelers—those who traveled 400 miles or more—reveals which brands experienced the most uplift during holiday weekends.

TRAVEL

Thanksgiving 45%1. Travelodge ▲68%2. Wyndham ▲66%3. Country Inn & Suites ▲65%4. Hyatt ▲65%5. Best Western ▲62%

Christmas 34%1. Sleep Inn ▲62%2. Ritz Carlton ▲61%3. Howard Johnson ▲58%4. Microtel Inn & Suites ▲55%5. Best Western ▲47%

HOTELS

Thanksgiving 24%1. Avis ▲24%2. Dollar ▲22%3. Enterprise ▲21%4. Budget ▲20%5. Hertz ▲20%

Christmas 24%1. Avis ▲31%2. Hertz ▲29%3. Budget ▲27%4. Thrifty ▲26%5. Dollar ▲24%

AUTO RENTAL

Thanksgiving 10%1. Sears Auto ▲75%2. Carmax ▲43%3. Tires Plus ▲26%4. Valvoline Express Care ▲16%5. Goodyear Tires ▲14%

Christmas 11%1. Safelite ▲30%2. Sears Auto ▲27%3. Carquest Auto Parts ▲24%4. Goodyear Tires ▲23%5. Tires Plus ▲17%

AUTO PARTS

Results for Thanksgiving reflect the uplift from the holiday weekend (11/22 - 11/25) over the previous weekend. (11/15 - 11/18) Results for Christmas reflect the uplift from the holiday weekend (12/21 - 12/25) over the previous weekend. (12/14 - 12/18)


Comparing the Major Driving HolidaysOf the major 2018 travel holidays, Memorial Day saw the largest uplift when compared to the previous weekend.

Foot Traffic UpliftHoliday Fuel Hotels Auto Rental QSR Casual Dining Coffee

Memorial Day 45% 100% 40% 35% 33% 38%Labor Day 24% 57% 32% 18% 20% 22%

Thanksgiving 23% 46% 24% 19% 29% 32%Christmas 20% 34% 24% 14% 20% 26%

CHRISTMAS & THANKSGIVING TRAVEL TRENDS

DINING

Thanksgiving 19%1. Dairy Queen ▲50%2. A&W ▲48%3. Panda Express ▲36%4. Krispy Kreme ▲36%5. Krysta ▲35%

Christmas 14%1. A&W ▲46%2. Dairy Queen ▲37%3. Captain D’s ▲36%4. Quiznos ▲35%5. Five Guys ▲31%

QSR

Thanksgiving 29%1. Rainforest Cafe ▲298%2. Cracker Barrel ▲111%3. California Pizza Kitchen ▲90%4. Dave & Buster’s ▲85%5. Cheesecake Factory ▲82%

Christmas 20%1. Rainforest Cafe ▲89%2. Huddle House ▲72%3. Earls Kitchen + Bar ▲66%4. Cracker Barrel ▲56%5. Pret a Manger ▲45%

CASUAL DINING

Thanksgiving 32%1. Starbucks ▲36%2. Dunkin’ ▲30%3. Tim Horton’s ▲24%4. Peet’s ▲13%

Christmas 26%1. Starbucks ▲29%2. Dunkin’ ▲28%3. Tim Horton’s ▲19%4. Peet’s ▲17%

COFFEE SHOPS

FUEL & CONVENIENCE RETAILERS

Christmas 20%1. Wawa ▲39%2. Sheetz ▲38%3. Casey’s General Store ▲36%4. MAPCO ▲32%5. SuperAmerica ▲31%

Thanksgiving 23%1. Sheetz ▲48%2. SuperAmerica ▲42%3. Maverik ▲34%4. Wawa ▲34%5. BP ▲33%

How did my brand perform?Are you interested in obtaining these and other insights for your brand? Contact [email protected] for more information.


GASBUDDIES’ MOST-VISITED BRANDSWhich retailers, restaurants, and travel brands captured the most visits in 2018?

The consumer path to purchase includes more than just fuel and convenience retailers. Whether on the way to work or on a holiday road trip, GasBuddies visit many related retailers, restaurants, auto parts stores, and more. These are the brands that received the most visits throughout 2018.


Most-Visited Hotels Most-Visited Auto Parts Stores

Most-Visited Auto Rental Companies

Most-Visited Coffee Shops Most-Visited QSRs Most-Visited Casual Dining Restaurants

Most-Visited Fuel& Convenience Retailers

Most-Visited Pharmacies& Drug Stores

Most-Visited Home Improvement

Results reflect total visits during from January 1, 2018 to December 31, 2018

How did my brand perform?Are you interested in obtaining these and other insights for your brand? Contact [email protected] for more information.

HiltonHoliday Day Inn

Hampton InnDays Inn

Courtyard

AutoZoneAdvance Auto Parts

Jiffy LubeO’Reilly Auto Parts

Firestone

EnterpriseHertzAvis

BudgetDollar

StarbucksDunkin’

Tim HortonsPeet’s Coffee

McDonald’sSubway

Taco BellBurger King

Wendy’s

ChipotleMike’sJambaDenny’sChilli’s

Shell7-Eleven

BPChevron

Mobil

CVSWalgreens

Rite Aid

Home DepotLowe’s

Sherwin-WilliamsAce Hardware

Harbor Freight Tools

About GasBuddyGasBuddy is a company that connects drivers with their Perfect Pit Stop. As the leading source for crowdsourced, real-time fuel prices at more than 150,000 gas station convenience stores in the U.S., Canada and Australia, millions of drivers use the GasBuddy app and website every day to find gas station convenience stores based on fuel prices, location and ratings/reviews. GasBuddy’s first-of-its-kind fuel savings program, Pay with GasBuddy, has saved Americans more than $4.5 million at the pumps since its launch in 2017. The company’s business solutions suite, GasBuddy Business Pages, provides Fuel Marketers and Retailers their best opportunity to maintain their station information, manage their brand, and promote to their target consumer audience. For more information, visit www.gasbuddy.com.

MethodologyFrom January 1, 2018 to December 31, 2018, GasBuddy analyzed anonymous, aggregated location visit data at more than 100 fuel and convenience store brands and retail locations across the United States to understand foot traffic trends, provide geo-behavioral and consumer insights, and identify the impact of key factors such as ratings and reviews on POI visits. To be considered a “visit,” users must be within 30 meters of a fuel pump for between 2 and 30 minutes.

Cuebiq is a leading location intelligence and consumer insights company leveraging the largest database of accurate and precise location data in the U.S. Its data intelligence platform analyzes anonymous location patterns to allow businesses to glean actionable insights and better understand the offline consumer journey. Cuebiq’s SaaS platform provides clients offline location analytics, real-time campaign optimization and footfall attribution, as well as geo-behavioral audiences for cross-platform ad targeting. Cuebiq is headquartered in New York with offices in San Francisco, Chicago, Italy, and China. Cuebiq is also a leader in utilizing data and insights in the service of a variety of causes through its “Data for Good” initiative. The company shares location intelligence with researchers at top universities and nonprofit organizations to drive innovation for causes such as improving quality of life in underserved communities, natural disaster response, and smart city development. .


foot traffic report - gasbuddy...although fuel and convenience retailers are destinations for the...

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