Upside Releases Annual Report Showing Fuel & C-Store Shoppers Are More Uncommitted Than Ever in 2025
Billions of transactions and consumer surveys shed new light on shifting diner behavior and how restaurants’ strategies are performing.
WASHINGTON, D.C., December 9, 2025 — Upside today released its Consumer Spend Report 2025, powered by more than 10 billion transactions and 11,000 survey responses. The findings reveal that fuel and c-store shoppers are increasingly uncommitted — visiting more locations, comparing prices more frequently, and shifting their spend based on value, convenience, and budget pressure.
The report also finds that some of the very investments retailers made to improve accessibility — from enhanced mobile ordering and payments to expanded loyalty programs — have unintentionally made it easier for customers to compare across competitors and switch with minimal friction.
“Convenience investments made it easier to meet customers where they were,” said Dr. Thomas Weinandy, Principal Economist at Upside. “But they also lowered the barriers to switching. In 2025, shoppers are spreading their spend with greater frequency — and fuel and c-store operators are feeling that volatility.”
Key fuel & c-store–specific findings from the report:
- Drivers are comparing their options even more frequently.
The average consumer now visits 2.6 different fuel stations per month (+7% year-over-year) and 3.2 convenience stores per month (+17% year-over-year). Plus, more than half of drivers compare fuel prices regularly, contributing to wider dispersion in weekly station choice. - Loyalty still matters, but engagement is uneven.
While nearly all customers say loyalty rewards are important, only about half of fuel customers use loyalty programs consistently — highlighting a performance gap. - The income gap is reshaping demand.
Year-over-year, those with household incomes below $75,000 per year said they spent 18% less on fuel and 11% less at c-stores. Meanwhile, those with higher incomes reported spending 9% more on fuel and 52% more at c-stores. There’s a dramatic split in demand patterns today, and higher spending from higher earners is masking a pullback.
Download the full report to unpack the latest shopper dynamics and the strategies beginning to resonate in the fuel and convenience sectors.
High-Resolution images are HERE or easy access to the report HERE.
ABOUT UPSIDE
Upside is a marketplace that connects consumers with brick and mortar retailers through personalized offers. Since 2016, Upside’s AI-driven personalization technology has helped millions of people get more purchasing power on the things they need. Billions of dollars in commerce run through the Upside platform every year, and that value goes directly back to our retailers, the consumers they serve, and towards important sustainability initiatives. For more: www.upside.com.
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