1.Industry status and development trend of LNG filling station market

LNG filling station refers to the liquefied natural gas (LNG) through heating, evaporation, pressurization and other processes, into compressed natural gas (CNG), and through the filling machine for natural gas vehicles filling facilities. LNG filling stations are generally divided into four types: skid-mounted filling stations, standard filling stations, L- CNG filling stations, and mobile skid-mounted filling stations. LNG filling station has the advantages of less land occupation, short construction period, low investment cost, low operating cost, high safety, good environmental protection and so on. It is an important supporting facility for natural gas vehicles.

By the end of 2021, PetroChina, CNOOC, Xinjiang Guanghui Group and Xinao Group are the main operators of LNG filling stations in operation nationwide. LNG filling stations are concentrated in LNG consumption provinces and LNG output provinces such as Inner Mongolia, Shaanxi and Shanxi, among which Shandong is developing rapidly. It is estimated that by 2025, the number of LNG filling stations nationwide will exceed 7700, and the market size will reach 100 billion billion yuan.

The development of LNG filling station market industry is affected by many factors, including the following aspects:

(1) Policy factors. The national policy support for new energy vehicles provides a favorable policy environment for the development of LNG filling stations. For example, the National Development and Reform Commission issued the "Several Opinions on Accelerating the Utilization of Natural Gas", which put forward goals and measures to accelerate the development of natural gas vehicles, including strengthening the planning and construction of LNG filling stations, improving the price mechanism of LNG filling stations, and encouraging society Capital participates in the construction and operation of LNG filling stations.

(2) Market factors. With the development of the national economy and the improvement of people's living standards, the demand for automobile consumption is increasing, especially the demand for clean energy vehicles. The market demand for natural gas vehicles provides a broad market space for the development of LNG filling stations.

(3) Technical factors. The technical level and equipment performance of LNG filling station directly affect the operation efficiency and service quality of LNG filling station. With the continuous innovation and progress of LNG filling station technology, the equipment of LNG filling station is more intelligent, automatic, energy-saving and safe, which can meet the demand of LNG filling in different scales and scenarios, and improve the market competitiveness of LNG filling station.

(4) Environmental factors. With the improvement of environmental awareness and the aggravation of haze problem, the society has put forward higher requirements for the pollution emissions of traditional energy vehicles. Natural gas vehicles as a clean energy vehicle, its emissions of carbon dioxide, nitrogen oxides, particulate matter and other pollutants, far lower than gasoline and diesel vehicles, can effectively improve the atmospheric environment. As an important supporting facility for natural gas vehicles, LNG filling stations are also in line with the development concept of green and low-carbon, and have been widely recognized and supported by the society.

To sum up, the LNG filling station market industry has good development prospects and potential, but it also faces some challenges and problems, such as the intensification of market competition, the diversification of consumer demand, the imperfection of industry standards, and the rise of operating costs. In order to better grasp market opportunities and respond to market risks, the LNG filling station market industry needs to conduct effective consumer research to understand consumer characteristics, needs, perceptions, attitudes, and behaviors, thereby improving market competitiveness and customer satisfaction.

2.Consumer Characteristics and Demand of LNG Filling Stations

The consumers of LNG filling stations are mainly the owners and drivers of natural gas vehicles, and their choice and use of LNG filling stations are affected by many aspects. In order to better understand the consumers of LNG filling station, this paper analyzes the three aspects of population characteristics, behavior characteristics and psychological characteristics, and analyzes the demand level and potential of consumers in combination with the product attributes of LNG filling station.

(1) Demographic characteristics. Demographic characteristics refer to the basic information of consumers, such as gender, age, income, education, occupation, region, etc. These characteristics can reflect consumers' social status, economic ability, lifestyle, etc., and have a certain impact on consumers' purchasing behavior. The consumer demographic characteristics of LNG filling stations are as follows:

-Gender: the proportion of men is relatively high, about 80 per cent;

-Age: 30- 50 years old, accounting for about 60%;

-Income: mainly low-and middle-income, accounting for about 70%;

-Education: mainly junior high school and below, accounting for about 50%;

-Occupation: mainly in transportation, logistics, taxi and other industries, accounting for about 80%;

-Region: East China, North China, Northwest China and other regions, accounting for about 70%.

(2) Behavioral characteristics. Behavioral characteristics refer to consumers' purchase behavior and usage behavior, such as purchase frequency, purchase volume, purchase time, purchase location, purchase purpose, usage pattern, usage scenario, usage satisfaction, etc. These characteristics can reflect consumers' purchasing habits, usage preferences, loyalty, etc., and have a greater impact on consumers' purchasing decisions. The consumer behavior characteristics of LNG filling stations are as follows:

-Purchase frequency: 1- 2 times a week, accounting for about 60%;

-Purchase volume: 100- 200 cubic meters, accounting for about 50%;

-Purchase time: 8- 10 a.m. and 6- 8 p.m., accounting for about 70%;

-Place of purchase: mainly gas filling stations close to residence or work place, accounting for about 80%;

-Purpose of purchase: mainly daily travel, accounting for about 90%;

-Usage: mainly self-driving, accounting for about 80%;

-Use scenario: mainly urban roads, accounting for about 60%;

-Use satisfaction: generally, accounting for about 50%.

(3) Psychological characteristics. Psychological characteristics refer to the psychological state and psychological process of consumers, such as cognition, attitude, motivation, values, personality, lifestyle, etc. These characteristics can reflect consumers' psychological needs, psychological preferences, psychological influences, etc., and have a profound impact on consumers' purchasing behavior. The psychological characteristics of consumers in LNG filling stations are as follows:

-Cognition: the knowledge and information of LNG filling station are low, the brand and service awareness of LNG filling station is low, and the safety and environmental protection awareness of LNG filling station is high;

-Attitude: general attitude towards LNG filling stations, more sensitive to the price and quality of LNG filling stations, more attention to the services and facilities of LNG filling stations, and more recognition of the safety and environmental protection of LNG filling stations;

-Motivation: The main motivation for choosing LNG filling stations is to save costs and protect the environment, followed by convenience, speed, safety and reliability;

-Values: Pay attention to practicality and economy, pay attention to efficiency and effect, pursue safety and environmental protection, and don't care about image and taste;

-Personality: more conservative and stable, less adventurous and innovative, more rational and objective, less affected by emotions and emotions;

-Lifestyle: relatively simple and plain, less pursuit of luxury and enjoyment, more frugality and economy, less waste and profligacy.

According to the product attributes of LNG filling stations, consumer demand can be divided into five levels, namely, basic demand, functional demand, additional demand, emotional demand and self-realization demand. Specific as follows:

-Basic needs: refers to the most basic needs of consumers for LNG filling stations, such as being able to fill gas normally, ensuring safety, and complying with regulations. These demands are the premise and bottom line for consumers to choose LNG filling stations. If they cannot be met, consumers will not choose LNG filling stations.

-Functional requirements: refers to the functional requirements of consumers for LNG filling stations, such as being able to provide reasonable prices, being able to provide high-quality quality, being able to provide fast speed, etc. These demands are the main basis for consumers to choose LNG filling stations. If they can be met, consumers will choose LNG filling stations.

-Additional demand: refers to the additional demand of consumers for LNG filling stations, such as providing convenient location, comfortable environment, considerate service, etc. These demands are auxiliary factors for consumers to choose LNG filling stations. If they can be met, consumers will be more inclined to choose LNG filling stations.

-Emotional needs: refers to the emotional needs of consumers for LNG filling stations, such as being able to provide a pleasant experience, being able to provide a sense of trust, being able to provide a sense of belonging, etc. These needs are the deep motivation for consumers to choose LNG filling stations. If they can be met, consumers will be more loyal to LNG filling stations.

-Self-realization demand: refers to the consumer's self-realization demand for LNG filling stations, such as being able to provide personalized choices, being able to provide innovative experiences, and being able to provide a sense of achievement. These demands are the highest level of demand for consumers to choose LNG filling stations. If they can be met, consumers will be more satisfied with LNG filling stations.

According to Maslow's hierarchy of needs theory, the level of consumer needs is from low to high, only when the low-level needs are met, will produce a higher level of demand. Therefore, if the LNG filling station market industry wants to meet the needs of consumers, it must start from the basic needs and gradually increase to self-realization needs, thereby improving consumer satisfaction and loyalty. At the same time, the LNG filling station market industry should also carry out market segmentation according to the demand level of consumers, and provide different products and services for different target markets, so as to improve market competitiveness and market share.

3.Purpose and Method of Consumer Research in LNG Filling Station

Consumer research refers to the process of collecting, analyzing and interpreting consumer information to understand consumer characteristics, needs, cognition, attitudes, behaviors, etc., so as to provide a basis for market decision-making. Consumer research is an important tool for the LNG filling station market industry, which can help the LNG filling station market industry to achieve the following objectives:

(1) Understand the market demand and market potential. Consumer research can help the LNG filling station market industry to understand the level of consumer demand, demand structure, demand changes, etc., so as to judge the size of the market, growth, trends, etc., to assess the market demand and potential, for market development and market expansion to provide the basis and direction.

(2) Understand consumer satisfaction and loyalty. Consumer research can help the LNG filling station market industry to understand the consumer's experience, experience and evaluation of LNG filling stations, so as to judge the satisfaction and loyalty of consumers, evaluate the satisfaction and loyalty of consumers, and provide reference and support for market maintenance and market expansion.

(3) Understand consumer preferences and expectations. Consumer research can help the LNG filling station market industry to understand consumers' preferences and expectations for LNG filling stations, such as preferred price, quality, speed, location, environment, service, etc., expected improvement, innovation, experience, etc., so as to judge consumers' preferences and expectations, and provide basis and direction for market innovation and market optimization.

(4) Understand consumer perceptions and attitudes. Consumer research can help the LNG filling station market industry to understand consumers' cognition and attitude towards LNG filling stations, such as cognitive knowledge, information, brand, service, etc., attitude sensitivity, attention, recognition, trust, etc., so as to judge consumers' cognition and attitude, and provide reference and support for market publicity and market influence.

There are two main methods of consumer research, namely quantitative research and qualitative research. Quantitative research refers to the collection and analysis of quantitative data of consumers, such as questionnaires, telephone interviews, online surveys, etc., to obtain objective and statistical information about consumers, such as consumer demographic characteristics, behavioral characteristics, and satisfaction. Wait. The advantages of quantitative research are large amount of data, reliable data and easy analysis of data, while the disadvantages are superficial data, single data and difficult data. Qualitative research refers to the collection and analysis of non-quantitative data of consumers, such as interviews, observations, experiments, cases, etc., in order to obtain subjective and detailed information of consumers, such as consumers' psychological characteristics, demand levels, preference expectations, etc. The advantages of qualitative research are that the data is deep, rich and easy to understand, while the disadvantages are that the amount of data is small, the data is unstable and the data is difficult to quantify.

When conducting consumer research in the LNG filling station market industry, it should choose the appropriate method according to different purposes and situations, or use two methods comprehensively to improve the effect and efficiency of consumer research. Generally speaking, quantitative research is suitable for understanding the basic situation and general needs of consumers, and qualitative research is suitable for understanding the deep motivations and special needs of consumers. For example, if you want to understand the market demand and market potential of LNG filling stations, you can use quantitative research methods, through questionnaires and other methods to collect basic information and usage of consumers, so as to estimate the scale and growth of the market; If you want to understand the consumer preferences and expectations of LNG filling stations, you can use qualitative research methods, through interviews and other methods to collect consumer feelings and suggestions, thus determining consumer preferences and expectations.

4.Suggestions and Conclusions of LNG Filling Station Consumer Survey

According to the above analysis, this paper gives the following LNG filling station consumer research recommendations andConclusion：

(1) The LNG filling station market industry should conduct regular consumer research to understand the changes and needs of consumers in a timely manner, so as to adjust market strategies and enhance market competitiveness.

(2)LNG filling station market industry should according to different purposes and circumstances, choose the appropriate consumer research methods, or comprehensive use of quantitative research and qualitative research methods, in order to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of consumer research.

(3) The LNG filling station market industry should pay attention to the basic needs and functional requirements of consumers, ensure the normal operation and quality service of LNG filling stations, and meet the basic requirements and expectations of consumers.

(4) The LNG filling station market industry should pay attention to the additional needs and emotional needs of consumers, improve the convenience and comfort of LNG filling stations, and increase the use experience and feeling of consumers.

(5) The LNG filling station market industry should tap the self-realization needs of consumers, innovate the products and services of LNG filling stations, and meet the personalized and differentiated needs of consumers.