Geofencing increases instore visits for Circle K

For convenience retailers such as Circle K, driving incremental store visits remains a key growth challenge. While location is a critical factor in consumer decision-making, understanding how proximity-based advertising influences footfall is essential to maximizing media effectiveness and local market impact.

To test the impact of location-based advertising, we partnered with Adsquare to measure store visitation across 124 Circle K locations. Using Smartly, we designed a controlled A/B test on Facebook, comparing standard regional targeting against geofenced audiences within a 10-kilometre radius of selected store locations.

By combining precise audience targeting with footfall measurement, we were able to isolate the effect of geofencing and evaluate its ability to drive incremental visits at the local level.

The geofencing strategy delivered a measurable uplift in store visits compared with standard regional targeting. Using a Difference-in-Differences (DiD) methodology, we identified a positive incremental impact across test locations, demonstrating how location-based audience activation can strengthen media effectiveness and drive real-world business outcomes.