Digital Signage for Petrol Stations and Forecourts

The Forecourt Digital Opportunity

A busy petrol station handles hundreds of customer interactions per day. Most customers come for fuel — a commodity purchase where price is the primary decision. The opportunity is to convert that commodity transaction into a richer retail occasion through effective digital communication.

Fuel Price Displays

Fuel price boards are the most critical digital signage application for forecourt operators. Motorists make routing decisions based on fuel prices — a clearly displayed competitive price attracts business. Regulatory requirements in many markets mandate accurate price display.

The Alliance connects to your fuel management system (Tokheim, Dover Fueling Solutions, Gilbarco) to update price boards automatically when prices change. No manual update required — the moment a price change is entered in the POS system, every display updates simultaneously.

Forecourt LED price displays — Large, high-brightness LED price boards visible from the road. The Alliance controls these via standard RS-232 or TCP/IP protocols.

Canopy displays — Screens mounted under the canopy showing current prices and promotions to drivers as they approach the pumps.

In-Store Promotions

Customers who come in to pay for fuel are a captive audience for an average of 60–90 seconds at the counter. Digital screens at point of sale:

Coffee and snack promotions (the highest-margin category)
Meal deal bundles
Loyalty card sign-up
Car wash promotion
Current price-match guarantee

Modern forecourt retail has evolved significantly — many sites now have deli bars, bake stations, and branded food service (Greggs, Subway, Costa, Burger King). These require professional digital menu boards:

Full menu with pricing and photography
Allergen information
Calorie display (required by law in England for large food service businesses)
Daily specials
Drinks menu

The Alliance’s food service templates meet all display requirements.

Car Wash Promotion

Car wash is a high-margin service. Screens at the pump and near the car wash entry promote:

Current car wash packages and pricing
Bundle offers (fuel + wash discount)
Loyalty programme (5 washes, get 1 free)
Seasonal campaigns (pre-winter rust protection, spring clean)

Outdoor Advertising

For forecourts in high-traffic locations, the roadside digital display is an advertising asset as well as a price board. The Alliance’s outdoor advertising module allows the forecourt operator to:

Display third-party advertising (generating additional revenue)
Display brand advertising for the fuel or retail brand
Run local advertising for the forecourt’s services

Forecourt operators with multiple sites can aggregate their roadside inventory and sell it programmatically through DOOH platforms.

Loyalty Programme

A large proportion of forecourt revenue comes from repeat customers. Digital screens promote the loyalty programme at every touchpoint:

Points earned on this transaction
Current points balance and nearest reward
Points multiplier promotions (“Earn 3× points on fuel this weekend”)
Exclusive member offers

Integration with the loyalty platform allows personalised content on screens when a loyalty card is scanned at the pump.

Technical Requirements for Forecourt Environments

IP ratings — External screens and displays must be rated for rain, temperature extremes (-20°C to +55°C), and direct sunlight. IP65 minimum for all outdoor equipment.

Brightness — Forecourt canopy displays need 2,500+ nits for daytime readability. Roadside price boards use dedicated LED technology rated for direct sunlight.

Vandal resistance — Screens in publicly accessible locations should be in vandal-resistant enclosures.

24/7 operation — Forecourts operate continuously. Specify commercial-grade displays rated for 24/7 operation.