Europe 
Summer is here and travelers are eager to hit the open road. On the way to their destination they will stop to refuel and hopefully grab a bite to eat. If you are a convenience store retailer, you know that customer experience will drive-in summer sales or drive out additional sales. With consumers now turning to C-stores to purchase a variety of food offerings, it is essential that your facilities meet their expectations for cleanliness. Food service excellence and cleanliness, inside and out, go hand-in-hand. The cleanliness of your store’s exterior and the condition of your bathrooms can have a huge effect on inside store purchases.
This is an industry for on-the-go customers. Restroom cleaning and maintenance programs are a great way to differentiate your store from the competition. A positive customer experience will increase business. Consider this: a dirty bathroom can push customers right back out the door —especially if the customer had interest in purchasing prepared foods.
No one wants to buy food that was prepared in a dirty environment or touched by hands that were washed in a dirty bathroom. Getting your customers to come inside the store is a huge opportunity when you consider that *65% of your profit dollars come from in-store sales. That means you are missing out on additional in-store sales from *46% of your fuel station customers!
Many of the people that visit your store every day come to fill up the tank and drain the bladder. A dirty forecourt or restroom will leave a negative impression of your store and they may never come back. Not good! NACS/Coca Cola research shows that cleanliness is a core need for customers to feel comfortable making in store purchases.
The most successful retailers take this information and make cleanliness a top priority. The results are a potential increase of 15% or more in profits. Even though only approximately 54% of your fueling customers come inside your store, 100% of them experience your store’s exterior. Therefore, it is crucial that your fueling areas and equipment are kept remarkably clean. Clean up your forecourt areas and bathrooms so you can drive-in summer sales!
