C-Store Loyalty Isn’t Always Rational, Study Finds

Convenience stores have long treated loyalty as a numbers game: lower the price, raise the frequency. But results from a new national survey from Vontier suggests something deeper is shaping American behavior at the pump and in the store: For the industry’s most frequent visitors, loyalty looks less like economics and more like familiarity.

The global industrial technology company’s survey of 600-plus U.S. drivers reveals a clear divide: Casual drivers still shop transactionally. But the 24% who stop multiple times a week – the so-called “super-users” who drive disproportionate revenue – are loyal for reasons that have nothing or little to do with discounts. They return because the store feels familiar, safe and part of their daily rhythm. In their world, the convenience store is not a pit stop; it is a place that feels like theirs.

“If you want a customer to visit once a month, talk to their wallet,” said Andy Bennett, Group President of Convenience Retail at Vontier. “If you want them to visit every day, you have to talk to their heart. Our research shows that the most frequent visitors are not chasing a cents-off coupon; they crave the feeling of community. We believe the role of technology is to streamline the transaction, so the retailer can elevate the relationship.”

Click here for more from the Vontier survey.