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 & BOSTON – 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 DeHaan, 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 PDI
Professional Datasolutions, Inc. (PDI) helps convenience retailers and petroleum wholesalers thrive through digital transformation and enterprise software that enables them to grow topline revenue, optimize operations, and unify their business across the entire value chain. Over 1,500 customers in more than 200,000 locations worldwide count on our leading ERP, logistics, fuel pricing, and marketing cloud solutions to provide insights that increase volume, margin, and customer loyalty. PDI owns and operates the Fuel Rewards® loyalty program that is consistently ranked as a top-performing fuel savings program year after year. For more than 35 years, our comprehensive suite of solutions and unmatched expertise have helped customers of any size reimagine their enterprise and deliver exceptional customer experiences.
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.