Sheetz - Taking Aim at Millennials...
This image is a partial screenshot from Sheetz.com/drinks
Sheetz is a household name for most Pennsylvanians. For any Pittsburgher who lives under a rock, Sheetz is a gas station chain, a sub shop, a coffee shop, an ice-cream joint, a convenience store, and a mini beer/wine distributor… all-in-one. The family-owned business runs over 300 convenience stores in PA (almost half of their total brick-and-mortar operation in the Northeast).
Their success is hard to quantify since they are a Northeastern US company and most of their competitors like 7-11 are national if not global. But, based on their social presence and marketing campaigns, it’s obvious Sheetz is betting big on Millennials.
“In 2021, Segmenta published the FSQ Millennial Report. The researchers explored millennial lifestyles, habits, and consumer preferences across different demographics to produce a report that Sheetz seems to have embraced. ”
In 2021, Segmenta published the FSQ Millennial Report.
In 2021, Segmenta published the FSQ Millenial Report. The researchers explored millennial lifestyles, habits, and consumer preferences across different demographics to produce a report that Sheetz seems to have embraced.
Though Sheetz was not named in this report, the data reveals that a stunning 98% of Millennial Americans visited a fast food restaurant and 88.4% of millennial consumers typically get fast food via pickup (online/app orders) or drive-thru.
This is page 10 from the FSQ Millennial Report
Another Millennial trait revealed from this report is that Millennials enjoy a greater variety of alcoholic beverages vs. the average consumer. Sheetz lobbied for the sale of alcohol in convenient stores in Pennsylvania and is also known for a variety of craft beers and wine in its product offerings.
Even prior to the pandemic, Sheetz had offered drive-thru service. But their in-store posters, branding, and online marketing quickly started to resemble the audience they are looking to cultivate. As a consumer, I was not blind to the change in strategy.
This image is a royalty-free image from Unsplash.
So… Is it Working?
This gamble is hard to quantify. It will take time to see if their growth continues and/or their customers stick with them. Most of their branding now includes pictures of Millennial-aged consumers holding late-night snacks and specialty coffee drinks. It’s very loud and full of bright colors… an obvious departure from their “Have it your way” MTO marketing from the past. Yes… I know “Have it your way” is a Burger King slogan… but you get my point. I recently conducted a Social Media Audit on Sheetz to study their online presence. Here are some of my findings:
Sheetz has a presence on the internet, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter, YouTube, and LinkedIn.
Sheetz is dedicated to causes such as Make-A-Wish, Special Olympics, Feeding America, and their own homegrown charity Sheetz for Kidz.
· 8x Fortune 100 Best Companies to Work For
· Top 12 Best Places to Work for Women
· Top 35 Best Workplaces for Millennials
Sheetz does a good job at promoting their food and specialty drinks across all platforms (coffee, alcohol, and non-alcohol drinks).
They are less savvy at real-time engagement with customers. On some platforms, they have corporate engagement; but it is not in real-time. On Facebook, for example, there are some videos and pictures with 5 or 6 negative comments in a row (spaced out over time) before a Sheetz representative comments if at all. Twitter is the same. The content moderation is definitely a weak area where they could use a social media reviewer.
This image royalty-free image is from the Unsplash libray.
LinkedIn appears to be their most professionally run platform. It is squarely focused on customer satisfaction and Sheetz being a growth opportunity company to come and work for. This message needs to resonate on all platforms.
The videos on all platforms are either short food/drink commercials made by the company or customer video uploads from TikTok, Facebook, and Twitter. This could also use a social media reviewer and some more professionally done videos to mix in with the clutter. They do this on a small scale… but there is room for growth.
In some ways, Sheetz is excelling by catering to a particular audience. And, in some ways they are coming up short. The fast-food convenience culture may be impressed with their variety, convenience, and compatible marketing campaigns. But, they will become impatient with their lack of response time and inadequate social media monitoring. So, it is definitely a gamble.
I wish them luck because I am a fan. Though not a Millennial myself, I love to travel with convenience. And nothing says convenience like getting gas, food, and supplies in one stop when on the road. And, in most cases… a clean bathroom experience! Keep it up Sheetz!