Tobacco sales are important to gas stations and convenience stores. How important?

According to Convenience Store News 2022 Industry Report, convenience stores still remain the number one spot for consumer's tobacco purchases. Plus, cigarettes sit as the third most purchased item by convenience store customers. And even though tobacco sales are so very crucial for convenience stores, many stores to this day miss out on improving their sales and bringing in more customers by not enrolling in a tobacco scan data program. But what is this sort of program, and why is it a must-have for owners and operators?

What is Scan Data

Tobacco scan data is collected from customer purchases during the checkout process. The software (implemented into your POS) tracks that data and shares it with the tobacco companies who employ these programs. In return, the tobacco companies offer rebates and discounts for stores to use on their end. So why should you use it?

Analytics

The stats collected from scan data are not only sent to the tobacco providers but are collected by your POS systems as well. From there, this data can be measured and compiled into reports. With these reports, stores can review customer purchases and behavior which not only helps avoid stocking issues, but also provides an avenue to make data-driven decisions for promotions going forward.

Kickbacks

With tobacco sales contributing so much to convenience store revenue, it only makes sense for owners and operators to take full advantage. By sharing the data to tobacco vendors, they in turn offer weekly rebates as well as multi-pack discounts, brand-funded promotions, and loyalty incentives.

Easy Integration

So all of this sounds great, but how difficult would it be to implement it to your store? Very easily! Scan data offers seamless integration requiring only three steps: setup, report generation, and report sharing. These steps are as painless as they are straightforward, making installing a program a simple endeavour.  

Conclusion

Running a scan data loyalty program is a no brainer for convenience stores in this day and age. The only prerequisite for stores is they must have their own digital loyalty program. So if you’re looking to install a scan data program and don’t have any sort of loyalty program in place, schedule a free consultation with us at Simpliconnect! Our digital rewards program meets Altria’s Tier 2 – 3 scan and RJR’s Level 1 and Level 2 data requirements and has all the tools to increase customer engagement to your stores.