More summer travelers are choosing gas stations for their meals: 105% uplift in foot traffic during lunch hours compared to previous non-holiday weekend
BOSTON — GasBuddy, the only smartphone app connecting drivers to their Perfect Pit Stop, today reveals how impactful the holiday weekend was for fuel and convenience retailers, with gas stations along major highways seeing a 69% lift overall compared to the previous weekend. Meanwhile, quick service restaurants only saw a 27% lift and coffee shops saw a 20% lift.
Lunchtime visits from 11a.m. to 3p.m. made up 36% of all traffic to gas stations over the holiday weekend. When compared to the previous weekend, gas stations saw a 105% uplift in foot traffic during lunch hours.
“We are a society growing more obsessed with convenience, apparent even in how we travel. According to our data, roadtrippers are looking for an all-in-one stop to get their gas, coffee, snacks, and meals," says Frank Beard, convenience store and retail trends analyst at GasBuddy. "Beyond convenience, quality matters and fuel retailers continue to build offers that compete directly with major fast food brands.”
In GasBuddy’s Q1 Foot Traffic Report, lunchtime visits on weekends were also the busiest time at gas stations convenience stores. And in the company’s recent convenience store foodservice study, 75% of Americans believe gas station convenience store foodservice has improved in the past 5 years.
Memorial Day weekend is just the beginning of the summer travel season. Nearly 70% of Americans will be making at least two road trips this summer.*
If interested in additional analytical insights on fuel and convenience retailers, contact [email protected].
*Source: GasBuddy's 2019 Summer Travel Survey
Methodology
GasBuddy examined foot traffic at more than 67,000 gas stations near major highways in the United States, comparing the average uplift in foot traffic during Memorial Day weekend (May 24 - May 27) to the previous weekend, as well as foot traffic to major QSR and coffee retailers. In addition, the company examined gas station visits of travelers who drove more than 400 miles over the holiday weekend during the lunch hours of 11a.m. to 3p.m. compared to the previous weekend.
About GasBuddy
GasBuddy 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 $6 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 https://www.gasbuddy.com.