GasBuddy shows in-store promotions can separate a brand from the competition.
When 7-Eleven celebrated its birthday with its annual 7-Eleven Day celebration on July 11 this year, GasBuddy was tracking its foot traffic.
The c-store behemoth gave away free Slurpees between 11 a.m. and 7p.m. on July 11. Of the 7,895 7-Eleven locations in the United States, more than 2,400 sell fuel. GasBuddy has revealed the impact the free frozen carbonated beverage had on foot traffic at 7-Eleven locations that also sell fuel.
GasBuddy’s data found that on Wed, July 11, 2018 the average visits per station increased 43% when compared to the previous 30-day period. When compared to the previous four Wednesdays, including Independence Day on July 4, there was a 51% increase in station visits.
Examining the impact the campaign had on market share, GasBuddy narrowed down the focus to the Dallas-Fort Worth designated market area, where there is the highest concentration of 7-Eleven stations selling fuel in the U.S. GasBuddy data found there was a 36% increase in market share on July 11 compared to the past four Wednesdays.
Typically ranked No. 3 in footfall traffic behind Shell and QuikTrip, 7-Eleven jumped to the No. 1 spot in the area on that day.
“This is a great example of how in-store promotions can separate a brand from the competition,” said Frank Beard, convenience store and retail trends analyst at GasBuddy. “More than 80% of convenience stores sell fuel, and the challenge has always been to convert pump traffic into in-store traffic. 7-Eleven used a well-known product (Slurpees) to drive significant foot traffic.”
In GasBuddy’s Q1 footfall traffic report, 7-Eleven was ranked third in the 1,000+ location category. The Q2 report will be issued next week.