Can a sandwich determine where to refuel? The question, which sounds like travel talk, prompts the economist’s investigation Santiago Cerruti Conducted on the impact of complementary services at service stations.
The interview took place in After the officePunto a Punto Radio (90.7), Cerutti said he set out to measure whether or not improvements in the quality of the user experience — restrooms, stores, food — translate into more liters sold at the pump. For this, he benefited from a very specific intervention: the Sandwich stop Which Acion added in some of their mouths.
As he explained, Cordoba had “five or six stations” in this format, which allowed him to compare what was happening with fuel sales with the opening of these new gastronomic spaces.
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Paradas Sanjushiras Laboratory
Cerutti explained that he worked with sales data before and after the implementation of the Sanguchera Stop at different Axion stations. He summarized the result as a “fairly significant increase”: on average, Increase the amount of liquid fuel sold by about 10%. In the mouths that contain the suggestion.
The change is not only noticeable in overall size, but also in Fuel type composition. While the load of regular gasoline remains constant or follows the previous trend, which is The insurance premium increases between 20% and 25%. On average, according to the economist’s calculations. Cerruti himself explained that this behavior corresponds to a customer profile that seeks a more refined tasting product and is willing to pay for higher quality in both sandwich and fuel.
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From the “PBT Refrigerator” to the signature sandwich
One of the keys to the study is that the improvement in supplemental service quality is very clear. Cerutti compared the classic “refrigerator blister sandwich,” a typical PBT in any season, with Parada Sanguchera products: sandwiches cut on the spot, with lots of cold cuts, homemade bread and a different footprint.
In addition, he noted that the proposal is the responsibility of the chef Leandro “Lily” Cristobalfrom Café San Juan, is a personality known for his restaurant in San Telmo and his television shows. This personal branding, added to the instant preparation, reinforces the perception that it is a quality product and helps to clearly define the gustatory “jump” that underpins the thesis.
For the researcher, this clear difference between the traditional sandwich and the new format allowed us to measure whether or not the change in store presentation transfers to the amount of gasoline that customers load at the same station.
When the fuel is homogeneous, services prevail
Cerruti emphasized that the fuel is “quite homogeneous for us,” and that from a user’s point of view, it is difficult to differentiate the significant differences in quality between Axion and Shell or YPF. In this context, Complementary services become the real competitive differentiator: Clean bathrooms, good food, a nice store or a more comfortable experience on long flights.
For this reason, he said it is very important to measure the impact of a particular improvement on these services. The Sanjushira terminal served as a test case to measure the impact on sales and, at the same time, to show that competition between oil companies is not limited to pumping stations only.
Price war does not exist here
Cerutti also compared local dynamics to local dynamics USA. He noted that gas stations there have more flexibility to compete on price: It is common to find outlets selling cheaper fuel and large chains, such as Walmart, adding their own stations. In this market, the “price war” occupies a central place.
On the other hand, in Argentina, a different scenario is described: gasoline values are more regulated or strongly indicated by YBF, which limits the margin of competition through severe discounts. This drives companies to… Discrimination in terms of services: Better shops, more ambitious gastronomic proposals, additional places of rest and amenities for motorists.