When Australians pay for petrol, they are exposed to an assortment of chips, chocolates, lollies and drinks designed to trigger an impulse purchase. But business owners have noticed that an increasing number of motorists are no longer buying snacks, as cost-of-living pressures spark a change in consumer behaviour that is denting sales of traditionally popular items.
“When consumer sentiment is off and people are not feeling good about the economy, our non-fuel sales drop; we’ve certainly seen that over the last 18 to 24 months,” says Mark McKenzie, the chief executive of the Australasian Convenience and Petroleum Marketers Association.
