QuickStop Markets: Maximizing Every Customer Interaction
"In convenience retail, we have maybe 3 minutes with each customer. Digital signage has transformed how we use that time. Every display is a silent salesperson highlighting deals, suggesting add-ons, and creating urgency. Our basket size is up 34%, promotional items are flying off shelves, and customers tell us our stores feel more modern than the competition. In a business of pennies, that's millions in new revenue."
— David Chen, Chief Marketing Officer, QuickStop Markets
Company Overview
| Company | QuickStop Markets |
| Type | Convenience store chain with fuel |
| Locations | 287 stores |
| Format | C-store with fuel (avg. 3,200 sq. ft.) |
| Daily Transactions | 425,000+ |
| Fuel Gallons/Day | 2.8 million |
| Annual Revenue | $1.4 billion |
| Employees | 4,200 |
| SignageStudio Customer Since | June 2024 |
The Challenge: The 3-Minute Customer Window
QuickStop faced the unique challenges of convenience retail:
The Convenience Store Reality
C-stores operate in a demanding environment:
- Average c-store visit: 3-4 minutes
- 70% of purchases are impulse decisions
- Fuel brings customers in; inside sales drive profit
- Competition from dollar stores, QSRs, grocery, and other c-stores
Specific Pain Points
Inside Sales Conversion Fuel customers weren't converting to inside purchases:
- Pay-at-pump rate: 72% (never entering store)
- Inside conversion rate: Only 45% of store visitors purchased
- Average basket size: $7.40 (below $9.50 industry goal)
- Promotional awareness: 28% of customers noticed promotions
Foodservice Underperformance Foodservice is the margin driver, but QuickStop lagged:
- Foodservice awareness: 34% of customers
- Hot food attachment rate: 12%
- Coffee attach rate: 18%
- Made-to-order adoption: Minimal
Promotional Inefficiency Traditional c-store marketing wasn't working:
- Window signs: Low visibility, quick deterioration
- Pump toppers: Expensive to change, weather damage
- Counter cards: Frequently knocked over, cluttered
- Price changes: Required manual updates at 287 locations
Speed vs. Sales Tension The fundamental c-store paradox:
- Customers want speed above all
- More sales = more time in store
- How do you sell more in less time?
- Staff too busy to suggestive sell
"We had 425,000 customer transactions daily," explains David Chen, "and 72% of them paid at the pump and never came inside. Of the ones who did come in, most grabbed one item and left. We were essentially a gas station with a glorified vending machine attached."
The Solution: Digital Merchandising Excellence
QuickStop partnered with MediaSignage for a chain-wide digital transformation:
Display Network Architecture
Per Store Average (8-12 displays)
| Location | Type | Quantity | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fuel pump toppers | 10" weatherproof | 4-8 | Fuel pricing, inside promotions |
| Store entrance | 55" window-facing | 1 | Deals, foodservice, draw customers in |
| Beverage cooler | 43" end-cap | 2 | Cold drink promotions, combos |
| Foodservice area | 55" menu board | 2 | Hot food, coffee, made-to-order |
| Checkout counter | 32" promotional | 1 | Impulse items, add-on suggestions |
| Beer cave/cooler | 43" display | 1 | Specials, age verification reminder |
| Center store | 43" promotional | 1 | Snack deals, combo offers |
| Back counter | 32" tobacco/lottery | 1 | Age-restricted items, jackpots |
Total Deployment: 2,870 displays across 287 stores
Fuel Pump Integration
The pump-topper displays became conversion machines:
Content Strategy at the Pump:
- First 30 seconds — Fuel price confirmation, payment processing
- While fueling — Inside offers: "Add a coffee for $0.99"
- Fueling complete — "Come inside for [current promotion]"
- Weather-triggered — Hot drinks when cold, frozen when hot
Technology Integration:
- Fuel transaction system integration
- Real-time fuel pricing updates
- Weather API triggers
- Time-of-day programming
Foodservice Digital Menu System
Foodservice received comprehensive digital treatment:
Menu Board Features:
- High-resolution food photography
- Real-time pricing and availability
- Combo meal suggestions
- Limited-time offers highlighted
- Nutritional information available
Daypart Programming:
| Daypart | Focus | Key Items |
|---|---|---|
| Morning (5am-11am) | Breakfast | Coffee, breakfast sandwiches, pastries |
| Lunch (11am-2pm) | Hot food | Pizza, hot dogs, sandwiches, combos |
| Afternoon (2pm-5pm) | Snacks | Beverages, chips, candy, energy drinks |
| Evening (5pm-10pm) | Dinner | Hot food, family packs, beverages |
| Late night (10pm-5am) | Cravings | Snacks, energy drinks, hot food |
Dynamic Pricing and Inventory
SignageStudio was integrated with QuickStop's systems:
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ SIGNAGE STUDIO CMS │
│ (Central management for 2,870 displays) │
└───────────────────────────────┬─────────────────────────────────┘
│
┌───────────────┬───────────┼───────────┬───────────────┐
│ │ │ │ │
▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼
┌────────┐ ┌──────────┐ ┌────────┐ ┌────────┐ ┌──────────┐
│ Fuel │ │ POS │ │Weather │ │ CPG │ │Inventory │
│ Pricing│ │ System │ │ API │ │Partners│ │ Mgmt │
└────────┘ └──────────┘ └────────┘ └────────┘ └──────────┘
│ │ │ │ │
▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼
Real-time Transaction Weather- Co-op Out-of-
pump prices data for triggered funded stock
displayed promotions content content suppression
The Results: Convenience Redefined
After 18 months of full deployment, QuickStop has achieved exceptional results:
Sales Performance
According to industry research, effective in-store merchandising can increase c-store basket sizes by 20-30%—QuickStop exceeded this benchmark.
Detailed Performance Metrics
| Metric | Before | After | Improvement |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average basket size | $7.40 | $9.92 | +34% |
| Inside sales conversion | 45% | 55% | +23% |
| Promotional item sales | Baseline | +89% | +89% |
| Foodservice revenue | $120M | $200M | +67% |
| Coffee attach rate | 18% | 34% | +89% |
| Hot food attach rate | 12% | 28% | +133% |
| Pay-at-pump inside visits | 28% | 41% | +46% |
| Promotional awareness | 28% | 78% | +179% |
Fuel Pump Conversion Success
The pump-topper displays proved extraordinarily effective:
"Come Inside" Campaign Results:
- Pump customers entering store: 28% → 41% (+46%)
- Average spend when entering: +$4.20 vs. baseline
- Coffee promotion response: 12% of fuel customers
- Combo deal uptake: 8% of fuel customers
"The pump toppers changed everything," reports Regional Manager Sarah Martinez. "We tested messaging like 'Fresh coffee $0.99—you're already here' and saw immediate response. Customers tell us they didn't know we had fresh food until they saw it on the pump screen."
Foodservice Transformation
Digital menu boards revolutionized QuickStop's foodservice:
Before Digital Menus:
- Foodservice awareness: 34%
- Average foodservice ticket: $4.20
- Combo meal uptake: 18%
- Daypart optimization: Manual, inconsistent
After Digital Menus:
- Foodservice awareness: 78% (+129%)
- Average foodservice ticket: $6.80 (+62%)
- Combo meal uptake: 45% (+150%)
- Daypart optimization: Automated, maximized
Specific Success: Breakfast Program QuickStop launched a breakfast program with digital support:
- Breakfast sandwich awareness: 67% (from near-zero)
- Morning coffee attach rate: 52%
- Breakfast combo sales: 340,000/week chain-wide
- Morning revenue: +45%
Vendor Partnership Enhancement
Digital signage created new vendor revenue streams:
CPG Partner Benefits:
- Co-funded promotional content
- Guaranteed impression delivery
- Real-time campaign activation
- Performance analytics shared
Vendor Investment Growth:
- Co-op advertising revenue: +156%
- Vendor-funded campaigns: 45/month (from 8)
- Scan-based trading promotions: +89% redemption
- New product launch effectiveness: +234%
Financial Impact
Investment Summary
| Category | Cost |
|---|---|
| Hardware (2,870 displays, media players) | $2,240,000 |
| Installation across 287 stores | $574,000 |
| Fuel system integration | $186,000 |
| POS integration | $124,000 |
| Weather/inventory APIs | $45,000 |
| SignageStudio enterprise license | $84,000/year |
| Content development (Year 1) | $180,000 |
| Total Initial Investment | $3,433,000 |
Return on Investment
| Category | Annual Value |
|---|---|
| Incremental inside sales revenue | $38,400,000 |
| Foodservice revenue increase | $80,000,000 |
| Vendor co-op revenue | $2,400,000 |
| Labor efficiency (price changes) | $890,000 |
| Print/signage cost reduction | $340,000 |
| Promotional waste reduction | $180,000 |
| Total Annual Returns | $122,210,000 |
| ROI Achieved | 10 days |
Stakeholder Testimonials
"As a store manager, price changes used to take my team 3-4 hours every week. Now fuel prices update automatically, inside prices change instantly when corporate pushes them, and my team can focus on customer service and keeping the store clean. My labor costs are down and my sales are up."
— Store Manager, Store #142
"I've been stopping at QuickStop for gas for years and never went inside. Then I saw the screen on the pump showing fresh pizza for $2.99. I went in, got the pizza, a drink, and some chips. Now I come inside almost every time. The food is actually good, and I wouldn't have known without those screens."
— Customer Survey Response
"As a beverage vendor, the digital displays have transformed our promotional ROI. Instead of hoping customers notice a shelf tag, our promotions are on bright screens at eye level. Our featured product sales are up 45% at QuickStop compared to competitors with static signage. We're investing more marketing dollars here because it works."
— Regional Sales Manager, Major Beverage Company
"The foodservice menu boards have been game-changing. Customers can see the food, see the combos, and make decisions before they get to the counter. Transactions are faster, tickets are higher, and we can push limited-time offers without printing a single poster. Best investment we've made in ten years."
— Director of Foodservice
Operational Excellence
Speed of Service Maintained
Despite increased basket size, speed actually improved:
| Metric | Before | After | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average transaction time | 2.1 min | 1.9 min | -10% |
| Basket size | $7.40 | $9.92 | +34% |
| Items per transaction | 2.1 | 2.8 | +33% |
| Queue time (peak) | 4.2 min | 3.1 min | -26% |
How?
- Customers pre-decide on purchases from displays
- Combo ordering is faster than individual items
- Self-service foodservice reduces counter time
- Suggestive selling happens digitally, not verbally
Price Management Transformation
Before:
- Fuel price changes: 2-3 hours to update all pumps
- Inside price changes: 1-2 days across all stores
- Promotional pricing: Significant error rate
- Competitor response time: Next day
After:
- Fuel price changes: Under 5 minutes chain-wide
- Inside price changes: Under 1 hour
- Promotional pricing: 99.9% accuracy
- Competitor response time: Within 30 minutes
Future Innovations
QuickStop continues expanding digital capabilities:
2026 Initiatives
- Mobile app integration — Order ahead, loyalty integration
- AI-powered personalization — Offers based on purchase history
- Self-checkout digital guidance — Reduce friction at SCO
- Electric vehicle charging — Displays at EV charging stations
Long-Term Vision
- Autonomous checkout — Frictionless "just walk out" technology
- Dynamic pricing optimization — AI-optimized pricing by store/time
- Predictive inventory — Displays suppress soon-to-be-out-of-stock items
- Personalized pump experience — Recognition of loyalty members
Transform Your Convenience Store Chain
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