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Fuel demand is getting harder to predict. A NACS report on Placer.ai foot-traffic data found gas station visits fell below year-ago levels starting the week of April 13, 2026, and suggested consumers “may be driving less or holding out between fill-ups.” At the same time, NACS reports gallons sold actually rose 0.5% in 2025, even as fuel sales dollars fell 5.4%.
Fewer, bigger fill-ups. Volatile prices. Holiday travel spikes. The NRF forecasts $1.013 trillion in 2026 holiday spending, and much of that shopping happens by car. For fuel retailers and jobbers, guessing wrong means runouts, emergency loads and lost sales.
Petrosoft runs 22 gas stations of its own, so fuel forecasting is something we rely on every day. Here’s how Retail360, CStoreOffice®, SmartPOS, QwickServe and Eagle Eye work together.
Know how your customers fill up
The 2026 NACS Consumer Survey found 40% of consumers refuel at least weekly and 28% refuel every two weeks. 79% still prefer c-stores for fuel, but that’s down six points from 2025, and 38% of consumers 65 and older now buy fuel at big-box retailers.
How Petrosoft helps: Retail360 fuel forecasting uses your actual sales patterns to predict demand by site, so you can schedule deliveries before you need them.
Forecasting starts with accurate tank data
A forecast is only as good as the inventory numbers behind it. If book inventory doesn’t match what’s in the tank, every order is off.
How Petrosoft helps: CStoreOffice® ATG-integrated wet-stock reconciliation keeps book and physical inventory in sync automatically, so your forecasts start from real numbers.
Plan for holiday and weather spikes
Holiday travel and winter weather can change demand overnight. A runout during a holiday weekend costs both fuel sales and the inside sales that come with them: NACS found 62% of consumers went inside the last time they bought gas.
How Petrosoft helps: Retail360 lets you watch fuel sales and inventory from your phone during busy weekends. QwickServe food ordering and SmartPOS checkout capture the inside sales that come with every fill-up.
Price with confidence
With gas starting 2026 around $2.80 a gallon, 25 cents lower than a year earlier according to NACS, small price moves have a big effect on volume and margin.
How Petrosoft helps: CStoreOffice® shows true fuel margin by site, so pricing decisions in Retail360 are based on real costs. Eagle Eye ties forecourt and in-store video to transactions for exception review.
Your fuel forecasting checklist
- Reconcile wet stock daily in CStoreOffice® so forecasts start from accurate inventory.
- Use Retail360 forecasting to schedule loads before you need them.
- Plan extra supply for holiday weekends and winter storms.
- Watch fuel margin by site before changing price.
- Turn fuel visits into inside sales with QwickServe and SmartPOS.
Frequently asked questions
What is fuel demand forecasting?
It predicts how much fuel each site will sell over the coming days so you can order the right amount at the right time. Retail360 provides fuel forecasting for Petrosoft customers.
How can gas stations avoid fuel runouts?
Start with accurate tank inventory from ATG-integrated wet-stock reconciliation, forecast demand by site and plan extra supply for holidays and weather. CStoreOffice® and Retail360 cover each step.
Are drivers buying less fuel?
Signals are mixed. NACS reports gallons sold rose 0.5% in 2025, while Placer.ai data cited by NACS showed gas station visits dipping below year-ago levels in spring 2026 as drivers held out between fill-ups.
How often do consumers buy gas?
The 2026 NACS Consumer Survey found 40% of consumers refuel at least weekly and 28% refuel every two weeks.
Does Petrosoft use its own fuel forecasting?
Yes. Petrosoft operates 22 gas stations and uses Retail360 and CStoreOffice® to forecast and reconcile fuel.
See Retail360 fuel forecasting and CStoreOffice® wet-stock reconciliation working together. Book a live, no-pressure demo at petrosoftinc.com.
Sources
- NACS, “How Is Pressure at the Pump Affecting Spending?” (Placer.ai data, June 2026): https://www.convenience.org/stay-current/news/2026/june/4/how-is-pressure-at-the-pump-affecting-spending
- NACS Magazine, “Who’s Buying Your Gas?” (2026 NACS Consumer Survey, April 2026): https://www.nacsmagazine.com/Issues/April-2026/Who’s-Buying-Your-Gas
- NACS, “U.S. Convenience In-Store Sales Top $340 Billion” (State of the Industry, April 2026): https://www.convenience.org/stay-current/news/2026/april/15/u-s-convenience-in-store-sales-top-$340-billion
- NRF, “NRF Forecasts 2026 Holiday Sales Growth as Consumers Remain Resilient” (October 15, 2026): https://nrf.com/media-center/press-releases/nrf-forecasts-2026-holiday-sales-growth-as-consumers-remain-resilient
