December 27, 2023
Three Key Considerations for your Next Fuel Dispenser Purchase
Wondering if what you have is the best bang for your buck? Choosing the right fuel dispensers can have significant impact on a site’s success, and costs aren’t as straightforward as a calculated standard payback model. It’s important to assess features that can increase ROI, including longevity in certain environments, ability to meet shifting fuel demands and engage customers for stronger revenue streams.
Easier Maintenance Increases Dispenser Life
Maintenance requirements are an important component in forecasting lifetime cost of ownership. Durability demands different features for different sites. Are your dispensers bound to face extreme temperatures, intense rain, higher volume?
Regardless of common wear and tear, factors such as location, weather and traffic patterns, accessibility of service technicians and parts play a role in defining your optimal dispenser make-up. While dispensers must adhere to certain regulated standards, investing in a model uniquely designed for your needs offers the best chance at longevity. Fuel dispensers from DFS undergo rigorous testing beyond industry requirements – for elements such as high impact and water resistance – to ensure they can withstand the harshest conditions in the field with minimal downtime and maintenance.
Dispenser technology is advancing to alleviate disruptive downtime and reduce technician visits. Wayne Ovation® fuel dispensers, for example, offer accurate metering with one-step calibration for both standard and high-volume sites, configurable with interchangeable parts and up-to-date on security compliances. An accessible printer makes changing receipt paper faster, opening just the printer door and protecting electronics from exposure. DX Monitor® further reduces downtime with real-time alerts to maintenance issues and remote upgrades.
Metering is a critical component too. Considerations beyond flow rate for ensuring meters can stand the test of time include:
- Is the meter consistently accurate at various flow rates?
- Is the shaft external or internal? Internal shafts reduce risk of tampering and theft.
- Is the meter made of fewer, fused or custom molded parts? More pieces could be a precursor to frequent repairs and replacements as parts wear out.
- How many steps are involved in calibration? One-step electronic calibration can cut down on maintenance frequency.
- Can a meter handle the volume of traffic your site brings in? A standard meter suits a small or mid-sized neighborhood site. Higher volume sites likely would benefit from a sophisticated meter such as the Wayne Xflo® fuel meter.
A Dispenser that Meets New Fuel Demands Adapts to Changing Markets
Demands for newer fueling options are intensifying. Dispensers that can accommodate more options help demonstrate to your market you’re keeping a finger on the pulse of modern fueling. We recognize the importance of offering solutions for retailers serious about versatility and flexibility.
DFS is committed to supplying retailers with future-proof options. The Ovation® fuel dispenser line comes standard with an E40/B20 UL listing, the first to do so in keeping pace with an ever-progressing industry. Wayne Ovation® Multi-hose dispenses up to seven different fuel grades with four hoses on each side.
Innovative Solutions Turn Dispensers into Revenue Drivers
Bringing customers into the store builds revenue stability. Consumers are embracing more targeted marketing and simplified transactions, recognizing platforms are increasingly secure and that personalized promotions offer a convenient, rewarding experience. Today’s dispenser solutions go beyond pump toppers or commercial advertising to digitize custom promotional campaigns, encourage loyalty and minimize purchase duration.
Do you offer foodservice or add-ons that are critical to the overall financial health of your site(s)? Consider that up-front higher costs associated with dispensers offering advanced marketing technologies could quickly be offset by the uptick in revenue they help generate. How much of a difference in ROI can these make? For that answer, let’s look at real results from sites using Wayne Ovation® fuel dispensers with Anthem UX®.
Anthem UX® platform offers a sleek digital touchscreen and leverages customized media through DX Promote®. Key Oil Company saw sizable growth in sales after installing at Keystops sites in 2021, including:
o 22% increase in breakfast sales
o 29% increase in fountain drink sales
o 33% increase in donut sales
o 101% increase in pizza sales (July ‘22 to Nov ‘22)
A branded retailer in the Midwest experienced growth in loyalty program adoption. Swapping out pump toppers for ads on Anthem UX® platform produced 165 loyalty app downloads, dwarfing the two downloads won across four stores through print signage.
Sites using Anthem UX® platform also report more fuel upgrades and total in-store revenue increases. One retailer saw car wash memberships climb 36%, while Triple Play Mobil saw a rise of 10% in both oil changes and car washes after running targeted ads. The recently launched DX Market™ powered by GRUBBRR® solution further connects forecourt and store, enabling at-dispenser self-ordering for foodservice and SKU items.
These solutions, designed with both fuel retailers and consumers in mind, optimize dispenser assets to allow customization and ease of use, drive cross-forecourt revenue and improve experience. Anthem UX® technology, now available in the smaller AX12™ Enhanced, provides some of fueling retail’s most advanced marketing capabilities. Retrofit kits for Ovation fuel dispensers ensure easy integration for retailers when they’re ready.
Greater return on your dispenser investment is easier today. All of these considerations center on choosing what’s most important for your business. Robust design and rigorous testing are crucial for lower cost of ownership over time, to be balanced with advancements to meet expanding fuel offerings and integrated solutions for increasing site revenue. The comprehensive dispensing solutions from DFS are a product of over 132 years of expertise combined with today’s leading innovations, helping to address all of these elements both today and prepare your site for advancements to come.
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