Are Your Stores Ready for Possible Post-COVID Road Trippers? - Part 1 - GSP

Travel experts predict quarantined Americans may be heading to parks or beaches in search of a change of scenery this summer. To avoid air travel, families may pack up the car and venture out for short close-to-home or weekend getaways, reports CNN Business and NACS.

“There is this pent-up demand for travel,” said Amir Eylon, president and CEO of Longwoods International. “What you’re first going to see is day trips, [people] going wherever [they] can get to in a couple hours and coming back home that day.”

Here are some quick tips to make sure your stores are ready for tourists in today’s post-COVID world.

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Inventory Check

Travelers filling their fuel tanks or needing your restroom, will most likely stop in your stores seeking beverages and snacks. Keep your inventory filled with summer favorites and avoid out-of-stocks. For stores in beach or lake areas, be sure to have plenty of bottled beverages and ice available for beachgoers. With COVID-19 still on travelers’ minds, have hand sanitizer and wipes available for folks who forgot to pack them or may have run out while on the road.

Winning Signage

Consider adding a local touch to your signs. For example, “Your Cape May County Store” or “Happily Serving the Mt. Rainier Area 24/7” to remind tourists that your store is a community staple. Make sure key signage is always visible so travelers can easily spot your stores at all hours. Create a positive user experience with wayfinding both inside and outside of your stores. For example, if your gas station provides free air, call it out with signage. This could give you a leg up on the competition for drivers wishing to fill their tires as well as grab a snack.

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Travel Specials

Offer specials tailored to travelers. For example, create BOGO breakfast options for families or couples that include egg sandwiches and beverages. Pair on-the-go prepackaged sandwiches and salads with heathy items like string cheeses and fruit to make packing the cooler easy for families heading to local tourism hot spots. Plan your stores’ offers around popular departure times. For example, breakfast deals for Friday-Monday mornings can capture those on their way home or to their destination.

Stay tuned for part 2 for additional tips for preparing for possible road trippers and let our retail experts help you create successful in-store strategies. Be it signage, a category refresh or store remodel to store intelligence technology and surveys – GSP’s got you covered.