Fuelling brand trust
Today’s consumers are grappling with product choice overload. Purchase decisions may take a split second, and consumers often land on the brands they know and trust.
To what extent does trust guide the customer’s hand to lift a product off the shelf?
At its core, a trustworthy brand is one that consistently delivers on its promises. Consumers today seek value for dollar, quality, service, transparency and a sense of shared values with the brands they choose to support.
When faced with the choice between a trusted national or private brand or a lesser-known competitor, most consumers will go with what they know. Why? Because trust drives loyalty and insulates against perceived risk.
Recent data tells the story. 2024 insights from research firm IMI International show trust is paramount, with 68% of consumers in Canada saying their purchasing decisions are driven by “a brand they trust.”
We’re also seeing how far consumers will go for the brand they trust. IMI reports that 185 million North Americans are willing to pay more, and 88% are willing to travel farther to shop with a trusted brand. It’s not uncommon for motorists to drive a little farther to fuel up at their preferred gas station.
Retailers who earn trust are rewarded not just with loyalty, but with something deeper— an emotional bond. That connection keeps customers coming back, even as competitors pop up next door.
What it takes to build and maintain trust
Building trust requires a purposeful strategy. It comes from understanding your customers, delivering on your capabilities, and communicating with authenticity. It means aligning your operational decisions with your brand promise. If a product disappoints or a service fails, it’s always worth it to take the time to repair the breach of trust.
A lesser-known driver of trust that retailers may underestimate is brand partnership. The brands you display, partner with, or promote all carry their own reputational weight. At 7-Eleven Canada, we distinguish between a vendor and a partner. The latter are dedicated to driving our strategy for mutually assured success.
In convenience retail, co-branding decisions need to be made with your customers’ trust in mind. If you’re asking someone to pull into your forecourt or grab a meal on-the-go, you want to meet them with familiarity. It helps explain 7-Eleven Canada’s recent conversion of its fuel in Alberta and Ontario from 7-Eleven to Petro-Canada, ESSO, and Mobil. This move is all about the importance of brand recognition and trust in Canada. Our customers gravitate, in this case, to fuel brands they know and experiences they can rely on.
Aligning brand promise with customer needs
At 7-Eleven Canada, our brand promise is to be the go-to destination for convenience customers, offering a wide range of products and services that make their daily lives easier. We strive to provide a convenient, friendly, and welcoming shopping and dining experience that meets the changing needs of our customers.
We know from our own reputation research that price (first) and quality of products and services (second) outweigh all other purchasing drivers. It appears the customer-brand relationship in our channel is predominantly transactional as price tips the scales, but embedded in that relationship, is brand trust.
Our customers’ changing needs account for why we’ve leaned heavily into fresh foods, proprietary beverages, and private brands bearing the 7-Eleven name. We are building a brand and a reputation as a food service destination, with stores featuring a robust menu of fresh food prepared in commercial kitchens for dine-in or take-out, including in-store seating areas furnished as a restaurant, and the option to purchase beer and wine to complement a meal in select stores.
Trusted brands earn the right to grow
7-Eleven Canada’s brand strategy is built on trust, and we partner with brands that put a premium on building and maintaining trusted customer relationships. In a fast-moving retail sector, trust keeps customers returning to our stores. And the more we deliver on that trust, the more permission we earn to grow, innovate, and serve our customers in new ways.
