Tracking retail fuel trends: April 2025

Warmer weather powered substantial increases in demand, but changes in the crude oil market brought the unexpected.

Meet ‘The Total,’ your bottom line for retail insights

Upside’s LinkedIn newsletter is packed with relevant insights across the fuel, c-store, grocery, and restaurant industries.

How restaurant franchisees drive smart growth with Upside

Upside boosts meal turn while also protecting profit, giving franchisees what they’re looking for.

Idle pumps, lost profits: How to capture more gallons without adding sites

By attracting customers earlier in their decision-making process, fuel retailers can boost capacity utilization without adding new sites.

Retail media networks turn engagement into revenue, but are grocers getting the full picture?

These networks effectively reach loyal shoppers. Paired with Upside’s offers for uncommitted customers, one and one can make three.

Tracking retail fuel trends: March 2025

Retail fuel metrics often follow specific seasonal patterns, but March’s data bucked industry trends in a few different ways.

Upside and loyalty: Triple the visits, 5x the spend

Boost key metrics and drive meaningful results by pairing loyalty and Upside together.

Tracking retail fuel trends: February 2025

Demand picked up as warmer weather thawed much of America, but a refinery fire marred an otherwise encouraging month.

Unlocking grocery growth: Breaking through the plateau

Grocers that put their stores on Upside drive sales increases equivalent to building new stores, no CapEx or OpEx required.

Tracking retail fuel trends: January 2025

Sanctions on Russia led to a rise in crude prices, while a cold snap suppressed fuel demand. Get your full trend update here.

Upside's most popular blogs of 2024

Revisit our top insights from the past year — with much more to come in the future.

Cracking the loyalty code: How to set a new program up for success

By bringing more new and uncommitted customers into your orbit, you can maximize the impact of a loyalty program from day one. 

Tracking retail fuel trends: December 2024

Cold weather and the holiday season brought expected declines in demand. Plus, we take a closer look at c-store metrics.

Winning the uncommitted customer: Lessons from Save A Lot’s journey

Save A Lot CIO Jennifer Hopper spoke with me on stage at Grocery Impact 2024. Find out what she had to say.

Where do people go out to eat on Christmas? (No, it's not just Chinese.)

We determined the businesses that are most likely to be open for the holidays — and the ones that see the biggest boost in visits.

Tracking retail fuel trends: November 2024

Despite a rise in holiday travel, fuel demand still fell month-over-month in November. Get a full look at the numbers here.

How Roy Rogers is winning customers without relying on the value menu

Diners have plenty of choices for affordable meals outside of the home these days. But are value meals and blanket discounts good for your business?

Retailer survey: Cautious optimism spurs greater focus on growth

Our latest survey shows retailers are thinking less about surviving and more about growing, a notable shift from the beginning of 2024.

Tracking retail fuel trends: October 2024

Sign and rack prices are expected to fall this time of year, but disruptions brought about by inclement weather have changed the story.

Variable pricing strategies and consumer perceptions

A number of variable pricing strategies are making their way into public consciousness. Here’s what you need to know.

Podcast: Upside talks ‘uncommitted customers’ with Supermarket News

Upside CEO Alex Kinnier discusses how loyalty members don’t always behave loyally — and how grocers can win more foot traffic.

Grocery shopping in 2024: Consumer spending trends and what’s next

Shifting consumer behavior is changing what it takes to stay competitive in grocery.

Customer loyalty programs and their impacts on buying behavior

Loyalty programming remains a critical investment, but data shows it’s not changing customer behavior.

Our takeaways from NACS 2024

Following four days in Vegas with the top talent in fuel and c-store retail, these topics are at the top of our minds.

Our takeaways from Groceryshop 2024

Following three days in Vegas with some of the best retailers in grocery, here’s what we’re thinking about for the rest of the year and beyond.

Q&A with Giant Eagle: How this grocer earns more loyalty from uncommitted customers

Of the new and non-loyalty shoppers Upside brought to Giant Eagle, over 60% joined myPerks.

Q&A with GetGo: How this retailer turns uncommitted customers into loyal customers

Of the new and non-loyalty customers Upside brought to GetGo, over 60% joined myPerks.

Inflation-adjusted sales: What your revenue numbers aren’t telling you

Due to an increase in cross-shopping, topline revenue gains can be misleading. Factoring for inflation shows a different picture.

'Breaking Down Buying Trends': The top three takeaways from our experts

Upside’s retail experts broke down the trends shaping the way we shop in a live webinar. We’re revisiting the conversation’s highlights.

Tracking retail fuel trends: September 2024

Aligned with year-over-year trends, we observed low sign prices and foot traffic at U.S. stations. October should hold more of the same.

Consumer price sensitivity: Why cross-shopping is more prevalent than ever

Consumers aren’t spending less — they’re just spreading trips around to buy less at each store. Our Consumer Spend Report has more. 

How Upside's strategic partnerships drive growth for retailers

Strategic consumer partnerships help Upside retailers expand their reach to earn more transactions and more profit.

Consumer economic sentiment in 2024: Inflation has cooled, but shoppers are still wary

Upside’s Consumer Spend Report featured a new consumer survey about economic sentiments and household finances.

Consumer spending trends in 2024 and the rise of the uncommitted consumer

Breaking down Upside's inaugural Consumer Spend Report

Dynamic pricing vs. personalized promotions: Mutual benefit makes all the difference

Personalized promotions center the customer while protecting the retailer’s margin; they sit at the intersection of efficiency and fairness.

Consumer c-store demand: Even as top-line revenue rises, other metrics tell a different story

Transaction data from more than 1,700 c-stores shows demand is actually in decline. We contextualized the numbers and interviewed consumers to find out what’s behind the shift in shopping behavior.

With more fees and higher prices, who's really to blame?

Consumers and politicians often pin the blame on retailers, but the real picture isn’t quite so clear. What’s driving high fees, and where do we go from here?

Q & A with Cascade Dining on their Upside experience

Papa John’s operators discuss their experience with various marketing partners to drive sales, and what makes Upside different.

Heritage Grocers Group shares how Upside helps win and retain more shoppers

CMO Adam Salgado and COO Prabash Coswatte say that Upside helps differentiate Heritage Grocers Group in the market, helping them generate a 75% return on investment.

What to do with Upside in low-margin fuel environments

Today, thousands of retailers use Upside to win more visits and higher customer spend at a positive, fully-attributable ROI.

Navigating thin margins in fuel and avoiding the 'vicious cycle' of cost-cutting

When fuel margins are low, retailers make less profit. But industry executives say cutting costs can make pre-existing pressures worse.

C-store revenue is up, but what about demand?

Upside reviewed transaction data from 1,700+ convenience retail locations and surveyed 1,500+ consumers. Here’s what we found.

How grocers bridge the gap from loyalty membership to loyal behavior

Most loyalty members behave like any other shopper. Here's how grocers can turn their average members into super-users.

Bridging the gap between loyalty membership and loyal behavior

There's a gap between loyalty membership and behavior; retailers have an opportunity to turn their average members into super-users.

Loyalty members don't always behave like loyal customers

Our survey of 1,900 consumers shows that the majority of your loyalty members shop around like any other customer.

Consumers are spreading around their grocery trips. So what?

With prices rising and their options multiplying, grocery shoppers are seeking out value now more than ever.

How mobile apps can turn gas station visitors into c-store shoppers

Using mobile apps is second nature for today’s shoppers. C-stores can leverage that behavior to reach more customers and increase pump-to-store conversion.

Fuel promotions that change customer behavior at the pump

Upside surveyed consumers on effective fuel offers. Then, we reviewed transaction data from 30K fuel sites to learn what really changes buying behavior.

Going Beyond Loyalty, Part I: Loyalty membership does not spell loyal behavior for shoppers

Upside surveyed 1,900 consumers and found a gap between loyalty membership and behavior.

Retailer survey: Costs remain top-of-mind even as inflation cools

Upside polled thousands of retailers to understand the biggest challenges they currently face, and a common theme emerged.

How far will your restaurant customers travel?

The average American only travels about three miles for casual meals out. How can restaurateurs get customers to go farther to choose them?

What's the risk of closing your restaurant early?

Right now, it’s difficult to hire, operating costs are high, and foot traffic is down. But shortening open hours probably won’t help.

Upside’s dashboard sets a new standard for performance insights. Here’s why.

The new Upside dashboard not only helps you see the value of the Upside program, but also helps to raise the bar for performance measurement across all your business partnerships.

Diners travel farther for cash back

On average, Americans travel about three miles for a casual meal outside the home. Restaurateurs are turning to Upside to get them to go farther.

How grocery loyalty programs stack up against the "Big Five"

We reviewed the loyalty programs from best-in-class American grocery retailers to see if successful programs drive more market share.

Food bar comeback: How hot bars and salad bars can make up for rising costs

Diners are trading down from full-service restaurants, and grocers can take advantage with high-margin food bars

How far will your grocery customers travel?

The average grocery shopper is only eight minutes away from their preferred store. How can grocers get customers to travel farther to choose them?

Cost-passing is backfiring for full-service restaurant owners

Customers are no longer willing to foot the bill for rising food costs, so restaurateurs need a new way to cover those increases.

Upside Report: How grocery retailers can thrive amid economic uncertainties

How grocers are creating an additional revenue stream that offsets rising costs

Unveiling consumer spending, saving, and rewards preferences

Insights from a recent survey

Upside's $1 billion milestone: Transforming physical commerce

To celebrate and contemplate the achievement of reaching a significant milestone of $1 billion in new, incremental profit for retailers, we spoke with Alex Kinnier, the co-founder and CEO of Upside.

Leveraging consumer psychology with effective promotions

How promotions drive behavioral change in consumers

Consumer behavior at the pump this summer

A guide to what retailers can expect from consumers this summer as prices at the pump change

Domino’s and Upside: Using technology to power their businesses

Learn how Upside helped Team Washington Domino's repurpose their marketing dollars, increase customer loyalty, and prove incremental profit.

Personalization vs. segmentation: How to build customer loyalty in grocery

How Upside is helping grocers drive incremental revenue and boost sales with personalized promotions

Boosting restaurant profits: A guide to the best tech stack

The right technology to increase ticket sizes and drive loyalty

Thriving in a declining market: Strategies for growing your fuel business

Upside's insights report for fuel retailers to stay competitive in changing markets

Boosting c-store sales at your station through gas promotions

To achieve fuel profitability, it is crucial to maximize capacity utilization, increasing sales at the pump and driving sales at your convenience store.

Where return on ad spend falls short

Many businesses work hard to maximize their ROAS. Here’s how this metric falls short and how to measure success more accurately.

How local and regional grocers can stay competitive in the age of mergers and acquisitions

With the growing trend of mergers and acquisitions in grocery, regional and independent grocers need a new playbook.

How capacity utilization will help you hire grocery store staff

Hiring grocery labor today is tricky, but maximizing your capacity utilization will ensure you can bring on staff without compromising profit.

Segmentation is now. Personalization is the future.

Retailers need to stop using personalized and segmented approaches interchangeably — only the former generates true incremental profit every time. Learn how these strategies differ and how to leverage the data you already have for long-term growth.

Retail strategies in times of economic uncertainty: Cut costs or reinvest?

Reacting to economic uncertainty: The cost-cutting dilemma

How can high gas station prices help restaurants and grocers increase sales?

High prices at the pump are driving consumers to new gas stations. Here’s how grocers and restaurants can benefit.

Think like a fuel customer: How each decision affects your profitability

Understanding how your customers think will help you go beyond tweaking fuel sign prices to maximize profit. Here’s what you need to know.

Why measuring capacity utilization is essential for grocers

By making better use of your existing assets, you could see a profit that could cover the cost of hiring additional staff to fill that empty register. Learn more here.

How marketplaces unlock new sales potential for retailers

Brick and mortar businesses have an inherent constraint on their usage: their physical location. Marketplaces are unlocking incremental transactions for retailers with very little lift.

Retailer spotlight: Cardenas Markets

As we celebrate National Hispanic Heritage Month, we're honored to showcase the Hispanic people and businesses we work with. 

Discounting has drawbacks: How to change customer behavior without sacrificing profit

Looking to attract new customers, bigger baskets, and more sales? One-size-fits-all discounting misses the mark. See why here.

How to calculate capacity utilization, according to Upside experts

How many gallons are you currently selling every day, and how could you be selling? Calculate your capacity utilization to find out.

The anatomy of a transaction

Making every transaction economically efficient

The restaurant labor shortage: How to grow while short staffed

The food-service industry is recovering, but the restaurant labor shortage threatens continued growth. Here’s how to manage it effectively.

Why fuel retailers need a customer reach strategy for digital-first consumers

As consumers make more purchasing decisions online, fuel retailers must look beyond sign price and traditional marketing. Here’s how to adjust your customer reach strategy.

Beyond customer loyalty programs: Digital marketplaces and new revenue

Customer loyalty programs can help drive sales among existing customers but fall flat in growing your base and driving new profit. Here’s how digital marketplaces can fill the gap.

The new drivers of restaurant profit, explained

The restaurant industry has completely transformed in the digital economy. So what are the new restaurant profit drivers in this marketplace?

Why measuring capacity utilization is essential for fuel retailers

Despite the outsized costs for these assets, few station owners track or measure how effectively they’re utilized on a daily basis.

How Upside helps fuel retailers as inflation rises

How Upside empowers fuel retailers to attract more customers and increase transaction volume amid inflation and rising gas prices, providing relief to consumers while boosting profits for businesses

Everyone hurts at the pump, even gas stations

Upside for restaurants: A powerful and easy solution – Is it too good to be true?

See how Upside empowers restaurants to attract more customers, increase profits, and streamline operations with minimal effort. Learn from real retailer success stories and see why Upside is a win-win for both diners and restaurant owners.

How does a business join Upside?

Join the Upside network to reach new customers and earn proven profit without contracts or complex integrations. It's a win-win for your business

Are your programs performing? Seeing past expected fuel volume fluctuations

This Upside study explores what it takes to determine the impact of your current loyalty program.

What’s keeping grocery operators up at night?

Rising inflation. Supply chain snafus. Global conflict. Continued COVID-related uncertainty. Learn what's challenges are facing grocers.

Prices are rising, but retailers aren’t the bad guys

Navigating inflation and supporting local businesses with Upside

Creating profitable grocery experiences: The future of Upside for grocery

How Upside's personalized approach is revolutionizing grocery retail, creating profitable connections between retailers and customers through item-level personalization and tailored in-store experiences

The ultimate guide to customer experience for restaurants

Learn how to create a stellar customer experience strategy and increase customer loyalty with the F.E.E.E.L framework in this three-part series

Personalized customer experience: How industry leaders create loyal customers

Understand the customer experience strategies employed by restaurant giants like Chick-fil-A, Dunkin’ Donuts, and McDonald's to foster customer loyalty and engagement

Gas prices are skyrocketing: Here’s everything you need to know

Understanding the surge in prices, economic influences, and how Upside continues to provide cash back amidst the fluctuations

Brick and mortar retail is making a comeback

How retailers are thriving post-pandemic by combining clicks-to-bricks acquisition and innovative in-store experiences to attract and retain customers

Creating profitable restaurant experiences: The future of Upside for restaurants

How Upside revolutionizes the restaurant industry with personalized dining experiences, bridging the gap between online and offline interactions to enhance customer loyalty and boost profitability

How to improve customer experience in a restaurant

Turning F.E.E.E.L framework into action: Enhancing restaurant customer experience