Technology | Forecourt Marketing
Digitalization T Forecourt M Technological advancements are changing the way convenience store operators market to customers in the forecourt. Erin Del Conte • Executive Editor
Driving fuel customers from the gas pump into the convenience store remains a core challenge for c-store retailers, but evolving technology is helping retailers to better market to potential shoppers at the fuel island, in some cases even bringing the items to them. “As fuel pump technology improves and costs for touchscreens and interactive technology come down, we are seeing more chains moving to interactive audio and video at the pump, and some are even beginning to use that functionality for ordering at the pump,” said Ryan Lindsley, vice president of marketing and digital technology, Kum & Go, which operates more than 400 stores across 11 states. The chain is also set to expand into Utah and Michigan by the end of the year. Kum & Go is investing in new pump and screen technology. It has also introduced ordering-to-pump capability within its mobile app as well as embedded in its mobile fuel pay feature, which it launched in April of this year. “We have mobile ordering for most of our stores. 116
CSTORE DECISIONS •
November 2022
(Items) can be purchased for curbside and BOPIS (buy online, pickup in-store),” Lindsley said. The mobile fuel pay feature allows customers to purchase fuel and activate their pump from their phone without leaving their car. “We upsell customers with an interrupt during mobile fuel pay,” Lindsley said. “When a customer activates the pump from their phone, we present them with a screen with a selection of products, which can be purchased and brought out to their vehicle. We also do audio advertising of our key offerings inside,” he added. DISPENSER INTERFACE
Key Oil Co. relies on its fuel dispensers to market to customers in the forecourt at its two company
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