Eye-catching gas station and c-store price signs that take advantage of PWM’s “High Rise Digits” are as important as ever as price-conscious Americans return to pre-pandemic driving levels.
After a steep driving decline during the COVID-19 pandemic, the U.S. Federal High Administration’s “Moving 12-Month Total Vehicle Miles Traveled” hit 3.267 trillion miles in October 2022, nearly identical to the 3.271 trillion miles logged in October 2019.
Americans Keeping a Keen Eye on Prices at the Pump
It is far from a “return to normal” however, as driving in the U.S. is still down when adjusted for population growth – down 6.58 percent overall since its peak in June 2005 – and Americans are keeping a keen eye on prices as fuel costs rise again.
“Some 61 percent of those surveyed say they have started to limit how much they drive due to the cost of gas, while 84 percent of drivers say they check gas prices in their area and try to choose the cheapest gas station,” according to a U.S. News & World Report August 2022 survey of 2,000 U.S. drivers ages 16 and older.
Those gas station price sign digits are in the spotlight as fuel prices, normally docile in the winter, have risen 9 percent in January 2023 – the biggest increase to start a year since 2009 – and $4 a gallon is on the horizon before spring break hits.
“Instead of $4 a gallon happening in May, it could happen as early as March,” GasBuddy head of petroleum analysis Patrick De Haan told CNN. “There is more upside risk than downside risk.”
Gas station and c-store operators need to think big when it comes to capturing the attention of U.S. drivers, especially those zipping down the highways at high speeds.
“There’s no better way to make your price sign visible to customers than to go big,” says PWM President and CEO Wolfgang Manz. “Our high-rise digits go all the way up to 10 feet tall which can help your enterprise tower over the competition.”
Gas Station Price Signs are Important Communication Tools
While much has changed about the world and the way we do business since the pandemic, some things remain the same such as the importance of gas station price signs.
“Gas station price signs are an important tool for businesses to communicate with customers and help drive sales,” said Manz.
Gas station price signs are important for several reasons:
- Price signs provide customers with information about the prices of different types of fuel at the station.
- Price signs make it easier for customers to compare prices and choose the most cost-effective option.
- Price signs can help attract customers to the station, as they can be visible from a distance.
- Price signs can also be used to advertise promotions and discounts, which can help to increase sales and attract new customers.
PWM’s High Rise Digits: Outshine the Competition
High Rise Digits take advantage of PWM’s LED/SMD technology which can create innovative sign options that outshine the competition – even at night.
“The brightness and 120-degree angle visibility of the PWM SMD electronic price signs help make G&M Chevron and Independent stations stand out from the competition. We continue to see increased customer activity at our stations,” said Michael Gray, G&M Oil Company.
PWM’s High Rise Digits range in size from 32 inches to 120 inches and feature the following:
- Cost savings due to quick and easy installation.
- Extremely flat design.
- Flexible system easy to retrofit.
- Great visibility from a far distance.
- Increase viewing angle.
- IP 65 waterproof.
- Low reflection surface.
- Significant energy savings.
- Unsurpassed light quality.
Modern SMD LED Displays are Reliable in Tough Conditions
PWM helped revolutionize the market for electronic price signs with the first manufacturing of SMD LED digits more than a decade ago.
“The modern SMD LED displays are slimmer, far easier to maintain, energy saving without the need for extra lighting, and they remain reliable even under the toughest conditions,” said Manz.
PWM continued to hone its SMD LED technology with the launch in 2014 of the first outline digits – two-colored digits that stand out from the single-colored digits.
A year later, PWM launched the first full-color digits – a combination of the basic colors red-green-blue (RGB) within an individual LED which allows millions of colors to be mixed.
LED signs are more easily seen by existing and potential customers. The luminescence of LED signs far surpasses that of fluorescent and incandescent signs.
“Whether your LED sign is on a highway or a city street, you can be sure that your business enterprise will not go unnoticed when you choose one or more LED signs with High Rise Digits,” said Manz.
The cutting-edge SMD LED technology has many advantages of other types of electronic price signs including:
- Light Quality and Brightness
- Energy Efficiency
- Ease of Installation
- Ease of Maintenance
- Increased Viewing Angles
Contact PWM today to learn more about High Rise Digits which are backed by one of the industry’s best warranties, covering parts and all labor, and 24-7 customer support.
