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owned and -operated locations, which include a Keystop Express convenience store and a Keystop Travel Center in Franklin, Ky. It also distributes fuel to nearly 200 branded sites and supplies wholesale (unbranded) fuel to a large network of c-stores throughout Kentucky, Indiana, Illinois and Tennessee. The Keystop Express site features BP-branded gas. BP does not allow for BP-branded sites to feature third-party signage on their pumps, making digital screens crucial for interacting with customers and driving them into the store. “Pumptoppers aren’t the most reliable form of marketing in the forecourt. These pumptoppers break, blow off of the dispenser, and in some areas end up empty from high winds,” said Keelye Gaither, brand and marketing coordinator for Key Oil Co. “This move towards digitalization for c-stores not only makes the cstoredecisions.com
customer experience more interactive but also brings a sense of security for the retailer who is trying to target certain loyalty advertisements.” The Keystop locations grab customer attention through the digital interface at the gas pump. The sites employ Dover Fueling Solutions’ Anthem UX User Experience Platform, which features a 27-inch touchscreen. Its Keystop Express added the Anthem dispensers three to four years ago, and the Keystop Travel Center, which features 20 fueling positions, rolled them out this summer. “The 27-inch touchscreen is a great feature,” Gaither said. “Going out there and teaching our customers how to use this touchscreen has been one of the most critical parts of this adaption (to) technology because it can be intimidating if you don’t know how to use it. But it is so user-friendly. I can’t say enough good things about it from that standpoint.” Infomercials as well as commercials play while customers are fueling. The pump interface allows customers to check the traffic and the weather. The stores began by running advertisements at the pump highlighting products inside the store as well as menu options and expanded into more store-specific ads. “Mostly what we wanted to do was connect with our customers and show them, ‘You’re getting a really good price on this fuel right now, but we’ve also got some really good stuff inside this store too,’” Gaither said. Keystop has also reached out to some of its vendors and had them supply ads to play on the dispensers. “Nothing grabs someone’s attention like an actual video playing and calling out to them,” Gaither said. She also adds elements to the pump interface, including happy music, calls to action and audible clips to capture customer attention. The stores saw a big uptick in breakfast sales after advertising its breakfast offering in a video at the pump that features pricing and available menu items. “Even in the months of January when sales are supposed to be lower, we still saw a growth in our November 2022 • CSTORE DECISIONS
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