Surprise and Delight Your Travel Center Customers this Holiday Season
The upcoming holiday season brings additional opportunities to boost sales, and travel centers can bring a little magic to the mix by surprising customers with unexpected products.
U.S. retail sales are expected to increase 3.2% between Nov. 1 and Dec. 24, which is a slight increase over 2023, according to a Mastercard forecast. Travel centers have a steady stream of customers coming through the door, and the right holiday offerings can help them take care of their gift-giving needs while stopping for fuel or a bite to eat.
To tap into holiday sales potential, Schulte recommends operators:
Consider the Demographics: There is a wide range of customer demographics within travel centers, and Schulte recommends operators get to know their customers and seek out products that will speak to them. “If your location serves a large population of Jewish or black drivers, you need to consider that. When you start thinking about approaching the holiday season that way, you will have significantly better success than when you do the same old thing,” he explained.
Think Outside of the Box: Adding gift items that customers wouldn’t expect to see in a travel center can create a fun twist and encourage them to snap up the exceptional find. When Schulte worked for Petro, he achieved “crazy” sales success using the tactic. “We had telescopes or gas mopeds—things that were unexpected, which was fun even for our car customers,” Schulte said. “We were able to sell toys and gifts at significantly higher retails than most people would have imagined in a truck stop or travel center because we had those items available.”
Consider a Gift-Wrapping Station: Professional drivers are unlikely to have wrapping supplies in the truck, so setting up a gift-wrapping station can create a customer convenience and incentivize them to shop. “The professional drivers we serve may not have an opportunity to shop for gifts, so we can make that easy for them and even provide the gift wrapping,” Schulte said, adding that providing gift wrapping can also create a sense of nostalgia for older drivers. “Something like that makes the experience more like we grew up in.”
Create a “Surprise Me!” Section: Locations with the space can carve out a “Surprise Me!” section that offers limited-time and whimsical items that bring an element of fun. Rotating the items frequently encourages customers to stop by often to see what is new.
Collaborate with Local Vendors: Shoppers often like to gift items with a local touch. Offering locally made honey, candles, jewelry or other items can help gift givers ensure they’re giving something unique. Another idea is to host pop-up events in-store featuring local creators.
Focus on Food: Consumers often splurge on food during the holidays. “If you make your own cookies or pies, take advantage of that during the holidays,” Schulte said. “Coffee houses and restaurants do it all of the time. Take a page out of the Dunkin or Krispy Kreme playbook and put colorful frosting on your donuts. It doesn’t have to be really fancy to create a holiday experience or feeling.”
Don’t Delay
There is a smaller shopping window this year, with only 27 days between Thanksgiving and Christmas Day as well as the first day of Hanukkah. This means shoppers are more likely to get started early, so don’t wait to roll out your holiday offerings.
Would you like more holiday inspiration? Check out these posts:
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