IPSOS DATA DROPS:
Boycotts in America
March 2025
Key Takeaways:
Poor perceptions of safety and operational failures like broken pumps or poor lighting in the forecourt will have customers driving off before ever setting foot in the backcourt.
What’s next:
The path from the pump to the register is paved with trust. Brands that master the non-negotiables — safety, cleanliness, and efficiency — will capture the cross-shopping opportunity. Those that don't will watch customers fuel and leave.
Or visit the Ipsos Consumer Tracker archive and the Ipsos Top Topics page.
Your three-minute briefing on what business leaders need to know about today.
IPSOS DATA DROPS:
Boycotts in America
March 2025
IPSOS DATA DROPs
Sports betting is booming.
Here’s how Americans feel about it.
January 2026
Check out our other DATA DROPS for more compelling data & insights
DOWNLOAD THE
PPT CHARTS
Want this compelling data in a deck to go?
TO LEARN MORE, CONTACT:
Needing a restroom is the No. 1 reason customers venture into the backcourt. 58% say a dirty one is reason enough not to return.
57% of gas station or c-store customers say instant rewards are their most valued loyalty benefit— and they want them without having to download another app.
28% of gas station or c-store customers are pumping and leaving without ever entering the c-store. When the table stakes of the forecourt experience — feeling safe at the site, functional pump equipment or payments systems, and ease of entry and exit — aren't met, your customers won't make it past the pump. These aren't perception problems: they're operational gaps actively driving customers away.
Safety & operational excellence at the pump are non-negotiable
1
Four of the top five barriers to returning to a location happen in the forecourt. The brands that fail to maintain well-lit fueling areas and clean restrooms will lose out on opportunities to earn loyalty and repeat customers.
Source: Ipsos Channel Check-In | Fuel & C-store Experience Consumer Research, fielded May 7 – June 1, 2026, n=1,500 U.S. past month gas station consumers aged 18-75. Age and gender quotas based on US census data
While 57% of gas station or c-store customers have a fuel-branded loyalty/rewards account, fewer than half of consumers (44%) have a fuel-branded app downloaded — a 13 percentage point gap. Additionally, one in three simply do not see enough benefit to download a fuel-branded app in the first place, highlighting a missed opportunity in messaging and promotion.
C-store shoppers want instant discounts without having to download another app
4
Fuel only: visited a gas station in the last month; Fuel + c-store: visited a gas station and c-store in the last month. Source: Ipsos Channel Check-In | Fuel & C-store Experience Consumer Research, fielded May 7 – June 1, 2026, n=1,500 U.S. past month gas station consumers aged 18-75. Age and gender quotas based on US census data
John Flesta Senior Vice President, Ipsos Channel Performance John.Flesta@ipsos.com
Illumination is an immediate safety signal, with 59% gas station or c-store customers stating they would avoid a specific gas station in the future if it was poorly lit. Poor lighting evaporates brand equity instantly, sending those that would prefer to use your locations directly to a competitor's pumps.
Source: Ipsos Channel Check-In | Fuel & C-store Experience Consumer Research, fielded May 7 – June 1, 2026, n=1,500 U.S. past month gas station consumers aged 18-75. Age and gender quotas based on US census data
After dark, safety trumps loyalty
2
More than satisfying cravings or needing to make a purchase, the need for a restroom is the #1 driver of foot traffic to the c-store. Cleanliness is a competitive advantage - forecourt and restroom hygiene rank among the top consumer priorities after the basics like safety and efficiency. The stakes are high: 58% of gas station or c-store customers say a dirty restroom is reason enough not to return to a given location.
Fuel only: visited a gas station in the last month; Fuel + c-store: visited a gas station and c-store in the last month. Source: Ipsos Channel Check-In | Fuel & C-store Experience Consumer Research, fielded May 7 – June 1, 2026, n=1,500 U.S. past month gas station consumers aged 18-75. Age and gender quotas based on US census data
Restrooms are the gateway to the c-store
3
You can't force consumers into an app ecosystem by withholding value. C-stores and fueling stations should encourage loyalty with frictionless, instant rewards programs that don’t depend on an app.
Brad Christian Chief Commercial Officer, Ipsos Experience Brad.Christian@ipsos.com
Forecourt = gas pump area; Backcourt = c-store/convenience store