This article is brought to you by Gold Medal Products Co.

Here’s some food for thought—three reasons why a great in-store customer experience is particularly important today:

• Consumers, struggling with the higher cost of goods, are more selective about where they spend money, and offering a great experience is a way to avoid a race to the bottom from a pricing standpoint.
• Loyalty programs work best when paired with actual customer loyalty—when customers like your stores and want to come back often.
• You don’t want to be left behind in terms of the long-term shift away from using your forecourt to lure customers to your store to using your store to lure customers to your forecourt.

Providing a great customer experience is what operators strive for every day, but according to Pete Bakala, vice president of branch sales and operations at Gold Medal Products Co., there’s a way to top off all the great work you’re already doing: Add popcorn.

“Freshly popped popcorn is more than just a snack—it’s an experience,” said Bakala. “It engages all five senses in one product.”

Picture this: A customer walks into a clean, well-stocked convenience store and is greeted by a friendly cashier—and the smell of melted butter and the sound of popcorn popping. The popper overflows in the machine, and popcorn cascades down. An inviting condiment bar offers an assortment of sweet and savory add-ons for the popcorn.

Sounds appealing, right? Even if the customer doesn’t want popcorn at that moment, eventually he or she will come back. And having your store stand out from the crowd in a fun way helps create that memorable experience retailers are striving for.

“The aroma alone can transform a simple visit to a convenience store into an inviting and enjoyable experience. Popcorn is a powerful tool to engage shoppers the moment they walk through the door,” Bakala said.

According to Bakala, Gold Medal’s ReadyPop® popcorn vending machine elevates the in-store experience by allowing customers to get their own popcorn, as popcorn dispenses from the machine at the push of a button. “The hands-on interaction is fun, and it gives customers a reason to come back.”

This is the first installment of a two-part NACS Daily series. Learn more about Gold Medal Products Co.