The service stations are much larger these days, and there is a new reason for them to continue to grow: electric vehicles.
While cars powered by battery become more common on the roads, more service stations install chargers alongside old-fashioned pumps. But the EV load takes time, so the operators of the service station transform their stores into shopping centers where people can spend time – and money – while they wait for cars to take care.
This often means replacing the business. Buc-ee’s, which has 51 locations mainly in the South and works with Mercedes-Benz to offer EV loadinghas stations as large as 75,000 square feet.
“What you see are the retailers who are preparing for what is to come,” said Kevin Hart, the sales director of Upsoid, who works with retailers, including convenience stores and service stations, to offer customers rewards on their purchases.
“The last thing they want is that you come, connecting your car to an EV load station and sitting in your car, so they have to create a shopping experience,” Hart said. “This is not how they thought 15 years ago.”
