The Forgotten Retail Estate: Why Fuel Forecourts Deserve a Second Look

When we talk about retail estates, the mind usually defaults to the high street, retail parks, or the endless scroll of ecommerce. But, there’s another retail media opportunity just off the motorway slip road or tucked into the corner of your local supermarket car park that often gets overlooked. Yes, the place most of us only think about when the fuel light flashes red.

Up to 70% of forecourt customers buy fuel and drive away without ever stepping foot inside the petrol station shop. That means the majority of potential high-margin goods sales are vanishing. For forecourt operators, this is more than a missed opportunity.

With fuel sales facing long-term volatility and high rates of taxation, together with the advent of electric cars, the question is: how do you transform the forecourt from a purely transactional space into a dynamic, digital experience that generates revenue in addition to that from fuel sales?

Turning dwell time into revenue and margin

Picture this: a customer is filling up their tank. It’s a brief moment, when they’re not checking their phone, and for a few minutes, they’re stuck in that awkward, idle phase of staring at the ground or gazing at the numbers ticking by on the pump. This is prime time for engaging your audience.

Digital signage displays can transform the forecourt experience. From the moment a customer approaches the petrol station, through to the pump and payment outside or at the kiosk – there’s an opportunity to get creative. Imagine strategically placed digital screens that draw attention to high-value products and in-store promotions. National retailers and brands can also get involved, advertising their products and services within the forecourt environment, even encouraging visitation to their own, nearby operations.

In order to grab the attention of customers during those precious minutes, digital pump-side displays are the way to go.

A blueprint for a digital forecourt transformation

Pixel Inspiration’s solution is specifically designed for the fuel retail market, giving operators a powerful new platform to turn under-utilised space into revenue-generating hotspots and, more importantly, capitalise on one of the few moments in a typical customer’s day where they are focused on the activity in play. They feature:

• High-brightness, outdoor rated 32” screens housed in slimline, IP-rated stainless steel enclosures.

• Wide-temperature media players, tough enough for all weather conditions.

• Integrated peripherals such as proximity sensors, numberplate recognition cameras, and speakers for visual and audio engagement.

• Realtime dispenser integration over IP or RS485.

• Flexible mounting with stanchion or freestanding options. 

The ability to integrate with real-time dispensing data is what makes these digital displays seriously effective. As customers fuel up, we can display fuel grade information, pump selection and dispensing data directly on the screen. When combined with personalised content, derived from an ANPR scan and including data such as vehicle age, type, MOT status, brand and colour, it allows advertisers to deliver highly relevant and effective messages to the captive audience. 

In short, these displays make every pump a personalised, data-driven retail touchpoint.

Beyond the pump: the electric vehicle era

With the phasing out of petrol and diesel car sales coming in 2030, the need for electric vehicle charging is going to continue to increase. Situated mainly away from the forecourt, the customer behavioural challenge changes. With the average car taking between 30 minutes and a few hours to charge at service stations and charging points, we can safely assume that drivers spend some of that time on their phones. It means that digital signage at these positions isn’t necessarily the answer, but strategically placed digital media screens in cafés, lounges, toilets and waiting areas could be.

Introducing other solutions like digital store windows, fixture specific displays such as gondola-end, aisle fin and bay headers, along with the plethora of off the shelf commercial LCD screens for spaces such as counters, both atop and behind, means there’s still a chance to capture the attention of anyone visiting a fuel forecourt or service station.

There's a huge amount of investment going into EV forecourt upgrades right now, but petrol, diesel and even hybrid vehicles will still be on the road for years to come. By the time the sale of these vehicles comes to an end in 2030, millions of cars and commercial vehicles will still need fuel, and forecourts will be around to serve customers for the foreseeable future.

The power of a fully managed service

What’s the point of having robust hardware and eye-catching tech without a managed services team being on call 24/7 to ensure there’s limited downtime? Our remote support service takes care of proactive maintenance and content scheduling, while our team is available for on-site maintenance if needed. Plus, we can work with your existing certified forecourt maintenance providers to ensure everything runs without a hitch.

If you’re interested in fuel forecourt displays, get in touch with us.