WilcoHess and Vendgogh are expanding their gas island vending initiative after less than 120 days, in order to test additional stores.
The two companies have collaborated to install a patented, integrated cold drink vending solution on the gas island that expands the offerings available to gas customers. The solution enables WilcoHess customers to buy cold drinks and gas at the pump with a single swipe of their credit card.
“We are encouraged by the initial reaction of our customers to this new service and are anxious to expand to additional stores,” said Larry Lytle, vice president of marketing for WilcoHess, which operates 400+ travel plazas and convenience stores in the Southeastern U.S. “We are increasing our overall sales of packaged beverages and have seen no adverse affect on inside sales. We believe we can drive sales at the pump higher over time as the awareness of vending at the pump continues to grow.”
Research has shown that a large percentage of convenience store customers buy only gas at the gas island without ever going into the store. Vendgogh’s solution is targeted at that customer segment and offers convenient stores a way to increase overall sales to a captive market.
“We are working closely with WilcoHess to understand the buying preferences of their gas island customers,” said Larry McAnallen, Vendgogh vice president of business development. “This customer focus will help grow customer loyalty and increase drink and gas sales for WilcoHess.”
Vendgogh expects to soon offer a system that can be shared between two or more fueling stations for greater c-store efficiency.
