NEW YORK -- Shell is the No. 1 gasoline service station brand in the United States, according to a rolling survey of consumers, but most fuel brands are in the “boredom” stage of their relationships with consumers.
“Gas service stations are all at (or on the verge of) the boredom stage among adults in the United States,” said BERA Brand Management Inc., a New York firm that measures consumer preferences in terms of a “love curve” that ranges from a “new” relationship to “divorce,” with the top of the bell curve showing “love” for a brand.
Here’s a look at how major gasoline service-station brands and select grocery/convenience-store brands rated recently …
BERA’s research shows top gas station brands are hurt the most by a lack of differentiation or “competitive uniqueness.” While most consumers are familiar and satisfied with the largest brands, in general, on a scale of zero to 100, even the most unique brand—Shell—rates only 39.0, for an overall BERA Score of 79.0. That score places Shell at the tail end of the “love” section of the “love curve.”
A similar rating of grocery and convenience-store brands—only select brands are included in the survey—shows boutique grocery chains such as Whole Foods and Trader Joe’s have positive momentum on the “love curve,” while large, well-known chains such as Wal-Mart, Costco and Target are well-regarded but nearing the “boredom” stage of the consumer relationship.
Meanwhile, 7-Eleven, the only c-store chain included on BERA surveys thus far, earned the No. 6 position with an overall BERA Score of 73.4, just entering the “boredom” range. While achieving a phenomenal “familiarity” score of 94.0, the Irving, Texas-based c-store chain again suffers in uniqueness, scoring only 38.9.
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