Retail footfall might be down, but introducing EV chargers can help a retail business attract new footfall customers as well as generating additional revenue.
The latest figures from data analytics provider Springboard put 2022 retail footfall 18.2% below 2019 levels amid an average annual decline of -1.3% since 2009. Giving customers a reason to return is, therefore, key to turning these statistics around, according to strategist William Carson.
The UK government has set a target of having at least 50% of new car sales to be ultra-low emission by 2030, and for all new cars and vans to be effectively zero emission by 2040. It is expected that the adoption of electric vehicles in the UK will continue to grow rapidly in the coming years, with a 40% increase in the number of BEV’s sold in 2022 from the previous year.
This trend is expected to continue, as the UK government has set a target for all new cars and vans to be effectively zero-emission by 2030, and for nearly every car and van on the road to be a zero-emission vehicle by 2050.
EV Charging options can attract new customers
As more and more people are buying electric vehicles, offering charging options can attract new customers who are looking for places to charge their vehicles while they shop.
EV charging at a retail location can make it a more convenient and appealing destination for EV owners. They are more likely to visit a location that has charging options available and may spend more time and money while they wait for their vehicle to charge.
Offering EV charging can also give a retail business a competitive advantage over other businesses in the area that do not have charging options available. This can help to attract customers who are looking for places to charge their vehicles.
Retail businesses can also recover the cost of installing EV chargers by charging customers for the use of the charging stations or by generating additional revenue through Connekt EV Charging‘s advanced cloud-based software and app integration solution.