GasBuddy consumer data provides additional dimension to PDI’s popular quarterly shopper insights reports; study finds the $650 billion fuel and convenience industry saw growth during pandemic.
ATLANTA, GEORGIA & BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS – August 23, 2021 (PR Newswire) — Professional Datasolutions, Inc. (PDI), a leading global enterprise software solutions provider serving the convenience retail, petroleum wholesale and logistics industries, and GasBuddy, the leading travel and navigation app used by North American drivers to save money on gas, today issued their first joint report that examines how the pandemic has influenced shopping behavior in the $650 billion fuel and convenience industry.
The “Buddy Up: C-Store Shopper Insights” report combines GasBuddy consumer survey data from more than 15,000 convenience retail consumers across all key U.S. geographic locations and PDI consumer-buying data from 5,500 mid to large-size convenience retail sites across all key U.S. geographic locations from its Insight Cloud solution. The inaugural report’s focus, The New Pandemic Consumer, utilizes this data to identify changes in C-store shopping habits from 2020 to 2021.
Key findings:
- C-store shoppers have grown over 4% in the past year compared to 5% growth in grocery and 6% in dollar stores.
- Younger, female shoppers make up a majority of the c-store customer base.
- 75% of consumers are shopping for fuel in 2021, up from 68% saying so in 2020.
- 86% of respondents are paying close attention to retailers’ commitment to the safety of their employees.
“By integrating GasBuddy’s vast consumer data insights with PDI’s already robust capabilities, it provides a more comprehensive view of the fuel and convenience retail industry,” said Patrick De Haan, head of petroleum analysis for GasBuddy. “This report highlights how our industry is ripe for growth as the pandemic has caused consumers to value convenience more than ever. Brands that are optimizing for this new breed of shopper — like providing delivery services and special offers on food or gasoline, and focusing on cleanliness — are seeing more transactions and customer loyalty.”
PDI acquired GasBuddy in April 2021, furthering innovation across the spectrum from wholesale to retail, from canopy to store. The Buddy Up: C-Store Shopper Insights report is the first of a series of quarterly joint reports, combining PDI transactional data with GasBuddy consumer survey responses. It is also one of many reports that PDI provides, accompanying the PDI C-Store Shopper Trends Monthly Report, Custom Fuel Pricing Benchmark Report and more.
The report also provides findings about the delivery industry and basket share. Download the full report here.
About GasBuddy
GasBuddy is the leading fuel savings platform providing North American drivers with the most ways to save money on gas. GasBuddy has delivered more than $3 billion in cumulative savings to its users through providing real-time gas price information at 150,000+ stations, offering cash back rewards on purchases with brand partners, and through the Pay with GasBuddy™ payments card that offers cents-off per gallon at virtually all gas stations across the US. As one of the most highly-rated apps in the history of the App Store, GasBuddy has been downloaded nearly 100 million times. Acquired by PDI Software in 2021, GasBuddy’s publishing and software businesses enable the world’s leading fuel, convenience, QSR and CPG companies to shorten the distance between the fueling public and their brands. For more information, visit www.gasbuddy.com.
About PDI Technologies, Inc.
Professional Datasolutions, Inc. is now PDI Technologies, Inc.
With 40 years of industry leadership, PDI Technologies, Inc. resides at the intersection of productivity and sales growth, delivering powerful solutions that serve as the backbone of the convenience retail and petroleum wholesale ecosystem. By “Connecting Convenience” across the globe, we empower businesses to increase productivity, make informed decisions, and engage faster with their customers. From large-scale ERP and logistics operations to loyalty programs and cybersecurity, we’re simplifying the industry supply chain for whatever comes next. Today, we serve over 200,000 locations worldwide with solutions like the Fuel Rewards® program and GasBuddy, two popular brands representing 15 million monthly users. pditechnologies.com
For more information, contact:
Kelly O’Brien, pr@pditechnologies.com