A recent refresh of Giant Oil’s On the Fly brand aims to make stores more appealing to all demographics with a larger, cleaner, more open design, Hadeel Ali, marketing director for Giant Oil, told C-Store Dive.
The new aviation-themed decor also gives the store a fun, youthful vibe without alienating older customers, according to designers with King Retail Solutions, which worked with Giant Oil on the store updates. The refresh, which is gradually rolling out in new builds and through renovations of some existing locations, is also expected to draw more attention to the brand’s foodservice and beverage offerings.
Giant and its affiliates, which operate 230 c-stores across the U.S., formed the On the Fly brand in 2018. It has since grown to 67 c-stores, including both franchised and owned locations in five states.
New look and new size for On the Fly
After spending years operating c-stores that span 1,500 to 3,500 square feet and include limited hot food offerings, On the Fly is going bigger. Its new 4,000-square-foot store in Sebastian, Florida, opened in December. Additional new builds that have received permitting are even larger at around 4,500 square feet.
Ali noted the refreshed prototype can fit into any size store.
“One of the things that was very important to us was to create a brand where people feel comfortable and safe, with large windows and a lot of lighting,” Ali said. “It is bright and fun and family friendly. It becomes … a place where the whole community in the area is able to go, where anyone is welcome, and knows that they feel welcome.”
Giant Oil also intends to make On the Fly a “very noticeable” brand, particularly with its logo, and make it known as a one-stop shop for all customers, according to Ali.
“A stronger brand image resonates more deeply with our customers and stands out from the rest. A stronger brand grows a strong loyalty program. It allows us to understand our customers, expand our offerings to meet their needs and introduce them to our innovative items like Flyby Kitchen,” Ali said.
Inside the store
The new red, white and silver-themed design features retro air travel aesthetics with a modern twist. The concept, inspired by the iconic TWA terminal at JFK Airport in New York City, includes playful takes on aviation for each department, such as “Flyby Kitchen” hot foodservice, “Flying Hops” alcoholic beverages and “Lavatories” for the restrooms.
Woven into the design and marketing are fun, thematic phrases such as “please secure all your beverages and snacks before your departure” and references to the store’s “cabin crew” instead of employees, said Seth Maddox, KRS’s creative director. The simple color theme and the verbiage, which is not “overwhelmingly funny or punny,” allows both older and younger customers to feel comfortable, Maddox added.
“Giant has really been thoughtful about how they thought about the brand. They already had such strong bones; it was really fun to take it and bring a little more of an aviation flair to it,” said Sarah Luker, senior designer for KRS.
KRS tailored the design to both upscale and more traditional stores and has “made it scalable and at different price points, so it is really easy to make a consistent brand experience at different locations,” Luker said.
The branding transformation also takes advantage of the larger footprint to put more of a focus on On the Fly’s Flyby Kitchen foodservice concept.
In this, On the Fly is joining industry giants like 7-Eleven and Alimentation Couche-Tard as well as a bevy of smaller retailers in elevating the dining experience of their food.
While On the Fly will continue to highlight its popular fried chicken, the company recently launched its pizza program, in which guests can customize their orders. Additionally, it features subs, sandwiches, breakfast items, salads and other offerings.
Upgrades beyond the store
Customers will also be encouraged to take part in On the Fly’s loyalty program, FlyMiles, which launched in November. Continuing the aviation theme, customers earn extra “miles” by purchasing Lofty Joe coffee and Flyby Kitchen products, while saving money on gas. Customers can also use automated clearing house (ACH) payments via the app. That service already has a 35% penetration rate according to Ali, and “we only expect this number to grow,” she noted.
The company plans to add mobile ordering in the future.
While Ali declined to reveal the amount Giant Oil invested in the refresh, she did say the company is “very confident in what it is going to produce.”
Editor’s note: This article was updated to reflect that Giant Oil does not own and operate all of the c-stores under its banners.
