With the steady decline in fuel demand, it’s more important than ever to have competitive strategies to increase the pump to store conversion. What worked three years ago is not going to work today, and with inflation and higher prices, customers are purchasing fewer items. 

Recent data shows that one of the most effective ways to encourage repeat business and reward consumer behavior is through loyalty programs and digital platforms that drive incremental traffic.

Programs like Upside help drive more fuel volume by influencing consumer behavior. Our personalized promotions have consistently proven effective at building new habits. But this window isn't open forever. To deliver maximum value to retailers, we offer exclusivity agreements that prevent competitors from joining our marketplace in overlapping locations. The reality is that waiting too long could close the opportunity entirely. 

Why have RaceTrac, Casey's, Circle K, 7-Eleven, and other major chains jumped on this opportunity? What kinds of lifts have they seen that convinced them to secure exclusive partnerships across hundreds of locations?

For retailers still evaluating their options, here's what a recent independent study revealed about Upside's effectiveness.

Independent study confirms sustained 2% fuel lift

MarketDial, a third-party analytics provider, studied exactly what Upside delivers for fuel retailers. They tracked transaction data for a top-12 convenience retailer over 15 months, comparing 175 locations on Upside against 100 similar stores that weren't.

The study design controlled for factors like location type, market conditions, and seasonal variations to isolate Upside's true impact. MarketDial analyzed both pre-launch baseline performance and post-launch results, providing a comprehensive view of how fuel transaction patterns changed once stores joined the platform.

The findings: stores on Upside saw approximately 2% more fuel transactions than control locations throughout the entire 10-month period after launch. For a store like QuikTrip processing 100,000 gallons monthly, that means an extra 24,000 gallons per year. Across about half of QuikTrip's network that remains eligible, that translates to over 11 million additional gallons annually.

More importantly for QuikTrip's business model, those extra fuel customers become potential in-store customers, exactly the traffic-driving strategy QuikTrip has perfected. QuikTrip has built its reputation on clean stores, quality food offerings, and exceptional service that converts fuel customers into profitable in-store purchases. Each additional fuel transaction represents an opportunity to showcase these differentiators, build customer loyalty, and drive sales beyond the pump. Upside has been shown to increase monthly visit frequency and spend among existing c-store customers by 1.4x.

Personalized promotions shift customer traffic patterns

MarketDial’s study revealed something important: incremental volume comes from customers changing their fueling habits across different retailers.

Market dynamics naturally direct customers toward retailers offering the most value. With over 1,300 fuel stations not participating in digital reward platforms, customers increasingly choose retailers that do participate. Major chains like Speedway, Wawa, and Love's recognized this shift and secured partnerships to capture this changing customer behavior.

This market evolution creates a competitive advantage for retailers who adapt to how customers now discover and choose fuel locations.

Competitors are capturing QuikTrip customers right now

Independent validation, like the MarketDial study, shows that Upside delivers exactly what QuikTrip needs: more customers at pumps and in stores, and a way to increase gallons in a declining fuel environment. A true leg up over the competition.

The question isn't whether Upside works. The study proves it does.

QuikTrip's strategy has always centered on using fuel as a traffic driver for higher-margin in-store sales. For about half of QuikTrip's network that remains eligible, that's over 11 million incremental gallons annually, and all the in-store sales opportunities that come with them.

If QuikTrip's team is ready to explore what Upside can deliver for their specific markets and locations, we'd welcome that conversation. Reach out to schedule time with us.