By Frank Beard

Discussions about online presence often assume that convenience retailers have already taken steps in that direction. But what about those who haven’t? As I learned firsthand during my recent road trip to the NACS Show, it can become a serious obstacle for potential customers.  

Rather than flying to the NACS Show, I drove more than 1,100 miles from New Orleans to Chicago with Gas Station Gourmet’s Al Hebert. It was a chance to collaborate and visit some of this country’s best convenience retailers—and enjoy some delicious food along the way. (You can read more about this journey in the January 2018 issue of NACS Magazine.)

I began by creating a list of stations using a custom Google Maps layer. Most locations were sourced from a combination of online articles, recommendations from industry contacts, and searches on Google and GasBuddy. At first, I worried that I may have over-planned by adding too many stations.

But I was wrong.

Since I didn’t want to waste valuable travel time by showing up at stations before or after they began foodservice, I tried to confirm their hours ahead of time. I typically did this either by calling or checking the hours of operation on mobile apps. But many of the stores along the way lacked even the most basic information on Google, GasBuddy, Facebook, and Yelp—information like phone numbers, when they open and close, and in some cases, an updated address. As a result, I was left to wonder if they were even in business.

In one instance, we tried to inquire about a store near Jackson, Mississippi. I did find a phone number on Google Maps, but nobody answered when I called. I also checked the ratings for an indication of recent activity—a review in the past week or month, for example, would indicate that the store is probably in business—but the few existing reviews were too old to be relevant. 

Was this store closed? Was it open? I wasn’t sure, but we decided to drive somewhere else.

I grew concerned as this continued to happen, because today’s consumers expect this information to be readily available. 77% of Americans own smartphones, according to the Pew Research Center. When they can’t find something as simple as the hours of operation, it comes across as confusing and negligent—precisely the wrong way to begin the customer experience.

The lack of online presence also prevents great stores from being discovered by people who might enjoy them. We stumbled upon one store with high-quality, homemade barbecue, but neither of us had ever heard of the store despite our extensive research and planning. I searched for it on my phone after we left—wondering if I’d just overlooked it—but I found nothing. The store was invisible. I wondered how many drivers might have pulled off the interstate if they knew it was there.

The NACS Convenience Matters podcast has featured both Frank and Al.

Frank Beard is a regular NACS Daily contributor who has traveled to more than 1,000 convenience stores in 24 states. He raised awareness of the industry's healthful food options with his "30 Days of Gas Station Food" experiment, and he's an analyst/evangelist for convenience store and retail trends at GasBuddy. Follow Frank on Twitter at @FrankBeard.