Refuel Operating Co. is a fuel retailer with 230 company-owned gas stations across five states. In 2019, the business consisted of five stations — and it’s grown to its current size through nearly two dozen acquisitions over the years. 

Nick Dobias, Refuel’s vice president of fuel, says that the current economic environment is a tough one for fuel retailers. Refuel continues to seek ways to grow its business, and to do that, it needs more customers — but that’s hard to do, given the current state of customer behavior. Over the years, Nick has observed the rise of the uncommitted customer — cross-shoppers who spread trips around to prioritize their own value over brand loyalty — and he’s focused on winning more visits from those customers to hit his growth goals.

When it comes to uncommitted customers, Nick and Refuel turn to Upside. Our digital marketplace helps the retailer win more visits from cross-shopping customers, bringing more dollars to Refuel’s pumps and convenience stores.

“Over the last 12 months, Upside has driven over 7 million gallons of incremental business to our locations,” Nick said. “If you look at our average volume, that's about four to five new-build locations.”