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‹ INSIGHTS  |  RETAIL BETTER BLOG

Prepare for Lower Fuel Prices to Increase C-Store Traffic

January 15, 2026 by Margaret Sotrop – Early forecasts in the energy sector show that fuel prices are likely to remain lower for 2026 than 2025. We think more American motorists will hit the road this summer, so are you prepared for the foot traffic? Let’s consider some promotional opportunities while the snow still flies.

Prepare for Lower Fuel Prices to Increase C-Store Traffic

Boost Convenience Store Traffic With Seasonal Merchandising

Cold beverages will always be a draw — especially during warmer months — but you can turn popular into exciting by adding unusual, seasonal and limited-time offer (LTO) flavors alongside your core lineup. Place promotional messages at the pumps, store fronts and destinations. Have you considered visual merchandising fixtures for that important pump-to-door journey?

Enhanced Food Service Offerings

Food has become a traffic driver. Last summer, we saw our customers have impressive success with “for an extra dollar” promotions. Others put together package deals specifically for road trippers. Don’t forget grab & go items that can be eaten in the car without being messy.

Scoot Over and Let Loyalty Drive

Strong loyalty programs and engagement with apps has become more important than ever. Rewards drive repeat business. Tie those seasonal offers to rewards for even more thorough engagement.

This summer presents a big opportunity — but the winners will be those who anticipate seasonal demand, tailor their offerings, and create compelling reasons for customers to walk through the door and stay a while. By focusing on strategic merchandising, seasonal product placement, and engaging fuel-to-store promotions, retailers can turn more fuel stops into profitable store visits.

GSP specializes in helping convenience stores optimize layouts, displays, and promotional execution to capture these moments. Contact our team today to learn how smarter merchandising and in-store marketing can help you maximize c-store traffic when fuel prices drop.

Our Brand Story

GSP started as a printing company in1978. We found our niche supplying in-store signage for convenience stores when retailers guessed quantities they needed. This led to overage, waste and expense. To solve this, we developed software to guarantee on-time delivery of “the right size sign, to the right store, every time.”

In 2014, we started AccuStore with a dedicated team. As software helped drive our growth, we realized that new printing and fulfillment sites near customers could drive business and improve sustainability. We acquired companies that fit GSP’s technical excellence and superior customer service models.

First was Great Big Pictures in Madison, WI in 2015. They lead the field in large format printing and visual merchandising for iconic fashion retailers. Their standards for customer service include award-winning sustainability programs, and expertise to bolster retail environments services.

In 2020, GSP acquired Custom Color in Lenexa, KS. The company supplies printed graphics to leading retailers. Custom Color’s stellar quality in fabric printing also aligns with GSP’s values.

GSP provides branding and marketing services with a focus on site-specific execution to help transform our customers’ growth strategies into store-level success. We design retail environments to engage shoppers and provide superior customer experiences. AccuStore powers our retail marketing, execution and digital display technologies and ensures stores get only what they need. GSP is a forward-thinking company that’s here to serve retailers now, with a focus on their future.

GSP delivers graphics and digital marketing to over 75,000 retail locations. Our experts provide retail branding and marketing services, focused on site-specific execution. Our methods ensure stores get only the POP they need, at the lowest cost. Our Retail Environments team creates and deploys amazing, in-store shopping experiences.