Charging stations to save traditional commerce?

If online shopping continues to gain ground over traditional retail, the latter is benefiting from an unexpected new support.

The weekly family outing by car to window shop and stock the refrigerator is a thing of the past. Today, the main storefront is a computer or smartphone screen. Whether that’s good or bad is a divisive issue that will never find a definitive answer. It’s simply a fact: online shopping is a hurricane that sweeps everything in its path.

So how can we encourage drivers to visit stores? Large shopping malls have built their success on the principle of offering the most comprehensive selection possible. Thus, one can, in a single outing, do grocery shopping, buy clothes for the kids, stop by the hairdresser, grab a small bouquet for mom-in-law, and have lunch at a restaurant before heading home. This offering has quickly been enriched with gas stations to fuel up for the week or change the gas cylinder. But these gas stations are more of a complementary service than a real draw. You arrive, fill up with diesel in a few seconds, and leave to pollute a little further away without ever stepping into a store.

However, the increasing electrification of the automobile fleet is changing the game. An electric charge takes several minutes, and if the charging station is near a shop, why not do a little window shopping? Similarly, when choosing between two neighboring restaurants, if one parking lot is equipped with charging stations, it makes sense to choose that one and enjoy charging the battery while savoring a good meal or a burger. This also applies to hotels, city center parking lots, amusement parks,… Every minute of parking can be used to regain some autonomy and avoid long, unnecessary waits.

Not only can these charging stations be a dynamic tool for traditional commerce, but this new mode of consumption can enhance the daily lives of electric and plug-in hybrid vehicle drivers and facilitate the transition to green mobility. A deal has the most value and chance of being sustainable when it’s a win-win situation.

You can still search on the homepage of Amazon or eBay; no charging solution is offered.

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