Allowing customers to clean their cars and fill their tires is a surprisingly lucrative convenience for C-Store retailers. Yet many locations either don't have the equipment or fail to meet what consumers see as the most basic criteria for safety and convenience. So, how can C-Store operators improve their Air/Vac program to turn more profit?
Why Air/Vac Services are in Demand
Despite the availability of shop vacs and air compressors, the number of U.S. residences that own and operate them remains rather small. Today, most air compressors are owned by businesses and are often used for heavy-duty purposes such as construction or machine operation. But why don't more consumers have these amenities at home?
Costs can be prohibitive. Spending a lot on something used sporadically to vacuum out a vehicle or air up tires a couple of times per year doesn't make financial sense for many households.
Space could also be an issue. The cost of home square footage has many families converting their garages to additional living space, making storage of air compressors and shop vacuums a hassle. Similarly, a garage is often a luxury for apartment or condo dwellers, which makes owning and storing this equipment difficult if not impossible.
With so many obstacles to owning compressors and outdoor/shop vacs, it seems obvious these consumers would look for an inexpensive option to handle car cleaning and tire inflation tasks. But how can convenience stores entice them to choose their air and vac services?
Safety is Paramount
When it comes to air/vac amenities, safety should be the top priority for C-Stores. Customers want to see clean, well-maintained equipment that they can rely on to operate properly without eating their money or causing hard to their vehicles.
Placing your machines in a well-lit area with clear lines of visibility is another important consideration. Customers should be able to easily see equipment and read the available instructions for appropriate operation. It is also helpful to place air/vac machinery out of the way of heavier location traffic. This makes it easier for air/vac users to enter and exit the area while also keeping air/vac users safe from other vehicular accidents.
In addition to access and use, equipment, placement, lighting, and visibility help customers feel safer using your air/vac system. C-Store owners and operators should evaluate their equipment and air/vac setup with the thought in mind of, “Would I be okay with my family using this?” Prioritizing safety sends the right message and builds trust with patrons.
Not Everyone Carries Coins Anymore
While cash isn't dead, loose change is often hard to come by. Remember the coin shortage of 2020-2021? The U.S. Mint was issuing comments and press releases specifically asking people to stop hoarding coins. They asked them to use the coins to buy things or exchange them for bills. The reason? People weren't keeping money in their cars – they were keeping it in jars sitting around at home. After all, credit/debit cards and dollar bills are lighter and take up less space than heavy, cumbersome coins.
So how are convenience stores supposed to earn air/vac revenue if customers don't have the coins to pay for the service? By accepting credit and debit cards for payment, of course. RevolutionAir by Cash Depot offers top-of-the-line air and vacuum equipment with credit/debit card readers as an option. You can choose to add it to a coin-operated machine or select to eliminate the hassle of accepting coins altogether. Either way, this easy alternative helps remove friction and drives your air/vac system to capture more sales.
Take the Extra Work Out of Air Services
Not everyone understands how to read a tire pressure gauge properly. Others, particularly older customers, struggle to kneel or bend to test PSI and add or release air. Then there are the customers who are just plain lazy.
Rather than expecting patrons to have basic car knowledge, physical movement, or motivation, convenience stores can employ digital air gauges at their machines. These fancy new gauges allow customers to select the desired tire pressure. Then they simply attach the nozzle to their tire and let the machine do the rest - automatically! The added convenience and ease of use will help make your C-Store a destination for simple and straightforward tire air.
Air and vacuum equipment may be more available in stores, but a large number of consumers still rely on their local stores for tire pressure air and vehicle cleanliness. Fortunately, convenience store retailers can differentiate themselves by investing in safety, payment upgrades, and user-friendly equipment that meets customer needs. Even better, these options help your store entice additional revenue and generate loyalty, both at the (air) pump and in the store.
Revolution Air by Cash Depot offers purchase, service, rental, and placement programs tailored for convenience stores. Our programs provide everything needed to offer the most advanced and convenient air/vac including digital air gauges, heated chucks, credit/debit card acceptance, and much more.
TLDR: Convenience stores can make more on their air/vac program by improving safety, payment options, and equipment.
