Each day, an estimated 40 million Americans fill up their vehicles, and for many of them, time of day determines when consumers choose to fill up. Consumers are more likely to buy gas during the evening rush than the morning daypart (35% vs. 19%), likely because of morning time pressures. But these time pressures vary by demographic.
To bring more customers from the pump and into the store, retailers can tailor their marketing and promotional messages to specific demographics. For example:
- Those who are most likely to purchase fuel in the morning are consumers age 35 to 49 (24%), so there may be an opportunity for convenience retailers to expand their breakfast foodservice marketing to focus on this segment.
- Shoppers age 50 and older are most likely to purchase gas mid-day (38%), outside of rush hours. These consumers are likely to enjoy comfortable seating areas, as well as promos around coffee and other hot beverages paired with bakery items.
- 53% of millennials shop c-stores for gas during the evening dayparts (3:00 pm to midnight), so there’s ample opportunity to capture these customers around snacking occasions or quick meal solutions with grab-and-go or fresh-prepared and customizable foodservice offers.
53%
of millennials shop c-stores for gas during the evening daparts (3 pm to midnight).
Shopping c-stores by time of day
|
Total |
Age 18–34 |
Age 35–49 |
Age 50+ |
Morning, or roughly
6 am to 10 am |
21% |
19% |
24% |
22% |
Mid-day, or roughly
10 am to 3 am |
32% |
27% |
27% |
38% |
Afternoon, or roughly
3 pm 7 pm |
36% |
42% |
37% |
31% |
Night, or roughly
7 pm to midnight |
9% |
11% |
10% |
7% |
Overnight, or roughly
midnight to 6 am |
2% |
2% |
1% |
2% |