7-Eleven Australia has collected a major award at the NACS Asian Convenience Summit in Shanghai.

The franchise chain picked up the Retail Technology Award for its 7-Eleven Fuel App, which was recognised for its innovation and impact on business growth.

According to 7-Eleven CEO, Angus McKay the number of 7-Eleven Fuel App users almost doubled from FY2017 to FY2018, with growth coming from both within and outside the 7-Eleven customer base.

The first-of-its-kind app uses the customers current location to determine the best fuel price at their five closest stores, giving them the option of locking that price in.

““The app has been adopted by many of our existing customers which is great to see, however the incremental customer growth is really exciting. The fuel app gives drivers another reason to actively choose 7-Eleven, in addition to our high quality Mobil fuels.

“Of course we aim to be competitive in our everyday fuel pricing, but the app gives customers the opportunity to take control when petrol is cheaper, and use that price lock when it’s convenient for them that week.”

For franchisees, the Fuel App presents an opportunity to increase consumer spend, with McKay suggesting in-app advertising was having a massive impact on sales.

“Our research is telling us that our fuel app users tend to visit more often than non-fuel app customers. The total spend by fuel app customers is growing in line with the uptake of the app. Fuel app customers spend approximately three times the average spend of non-fuel app customers.

“This award celebrates the collective effort of the entire team to develop the technology, and engage with customers to make it a success. Our support office and store teams worked together to provide great customer experiences, and to get our customers, family and friends excited about using the app to save.”