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Attitudes Toward Convenience Store Shopping - US - April 2011

SCOPE AND THEMES
What you need to know
Definition
Data sources
Sales data
Consumer data
Advertising clips
Abbreviations and terms
Abbreviations
Terms
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Frequency, spend highest among the young, males, parents
Primary c-store use drivers are food, gasoline, and restroom use
Purchases vary greatly by demographic group
Females purchase more food and drink items, males focus on a few
Consumers shop at/frequent 7-Eleven, major gas stations
Strong interest in healthier food, financial services
Image problem number one—inflated prices
Blacks, Hispanics over-index in shopping c-stores
Greater engagement between c-stores and their core customers
Acquisition attempts in fragmented channel
INSIGHTS AND OPPORTUNITIES
Name brands, store environment key to foodservice
Ordering a more sophisticated cup of coffee
Social media for the mobile young consumer
The convenience store as financial institution
The c-store cure for fashion emergencies
Prioritize the consumer connection
Drive-thru opportunities
INSPIRE INSIGHTS
Trend: Experience is All
THE C-STORE MARKET AND PERFORMANCE
Key points
Top 10 sales categories (excluding fuel): top three control majority
Figure 1: Top 10 sales categories sorted by gross margin contribution at c-stores, 2008-09
Figure 2: Percent distribution of U.S. in-store convenience store sales (excluding fuel), by segment, 2005-10
Figure 3: Fuel sales share in convenience store sales, 2000-10
C-store industry store count declines 2007-09
Figure 4: C-store industry store count, 2000-09
Rate of growth
Figure 5: C-store industry store count rate of growth, 2000-09
MARKET DRIVERS
Expecting even more from Millennials, making the best of Boomers
Figure 6: Population, by age, 2006-16
Figure 7: Population, by generation, 2011
Figure 8: Population, by race and Hispanic origin, 2006-16
The price of fuel, the cost to convenience stores
Figure 9: Personal Consumption Expenditures for Gasoline and the Average Price of Gasoline in the United States
Figure 10: Gasoline prices, U.S. city average, January 2005-January 2011
COMPETITIVE CONTEXT
Key points
Growth in larger c-store formats
Casey’s in heavy acquisition mode
7-Eleven reorganizes with growth in mind
Alimentation Couche-Tard’s food focus
Walmart’s new threats—Express and Campus formats
Additional channel-blurring continues
INNOVATIONS AND INNOVATORS
Key points
 OVERVIEW
Proprietary beer, wine
The Pantry re-launches coffee
Thorntons’ new store design focuses on customization
Sheetz continues to reinvent
MARKETING STRATEGIES
 OVERVIEW
Social media marketing emerging
Mobile Apps
Facebook
Twitter
Text messages
YouTube
Marketing strategy standouts
Wawa
Maverik Convenience Stores
 AD ANALYSIS
Chains stress speed, milk, and loyalty in advertising
Figure 11: Kwik Trip, “Couple in kitchen, family comes in and out in fast motion,” TV ad, May 2010
Figure 12: 7-Eleven, “Two male farmers have a milk off,” TV ad, June 2010
Figure 13: Speedway, “Cash flies out from gas pump,” TV ad, November 2010
VISIT FREQUENCY AND SPEND AT CONVENIENCE STORES
Key points
Frequency of visits to convenience stores
Figure 14: Frequency of visits to convenience stores, by gender, December 2010
Figure 15: Frequency of visits to convenience stores, by age, December 2010
Figure 16: Frequency of visits to convenience stores, by household income, December 2010
Figure 17: Frequency of visits to convenience stores, by presence of children, December 2010
Spend at convenience stores
Figure 18: Spend at convenience stores, by gender, December 2010
Figure 19: Spend at convenience stores, by age, December 2010
Figure 20: Spend at convenience stores, by household income, December 2010
Figure 21: Spend at convenience stores, by presence of children, December 2010
REASONS FOR VISITING CONVENIENCE STORES
Key points
The restroom factor
Reasons why consumers visit convenience stores and general attitudes
Figure 22: Reasons why consumers visit convenience stores, by gender, December 2010
Figure 23: Reasons why consumers visit convenience stores, by age, December 2010
Figure 24: Reasons why consumers visit convenience stores, by household income, December 2010
Figure 25: Reasons why consumers visit convenience stores, by presence of children, December 2010
WHAT CONSUMERS BUY AT CONVENIENCE STORES
Key points
What consumers buy at convenience stores
Figure 26: What consumers buy at convenience stores, by gender, December 2010
Figure 27: What consumers buy at convenience stores, by age, December 2010
Figure 28: What consumers buy at convenience stores, by household income, December 2010
FOOD AND DRINK PURCHASES AT CONVENIENCE STORES
Key points
Food and drink purchases at convenience stores
Figure 29: Food and drink purchases at convenience stores, by gender, December 2010
Figure 30: Food and drink purchases at convenience stores, by age, December 2010
Figure 31: Food and drink purchases at convenience stores, by household income, December 2010
Figure 32: Food and drink purchases at convenience stores, by presence of children, December 2010
CONVENIENCE STORES THAT CONSUMERS SHOP AT/FREQUENT
Key points
Convenience stores that consumers shop at/frequent
Figure 33: Convenience stores that consumers shop at/frequent, December 2010
Figure 34: Top 10 convenience stores that consumers shop at/frequent, by gender, December 2010
Figure 35: Top 10 convenience stores that consumers shop at/frequent, by age, December 2010
Figure 36: Top 10 convenience stores that consumers shop at/frequent, by household income, December 2010
Personal usage and frequency
Convenience stores that consumers have recently visited
Figure 37: Convenience store shopping, by outlet, by age, July 2009-September 2010
Figure 38: Convenience store shopping, by outlet, by household income, July 2009-September 2010
Frequency of visits at the top five convenience stores
Figure 39: Convenience store shopping, by frequency, by age, July 2009-September 2010
Figure 40: Convenience store shopping, by frequency, by household income, July 2009-September 2010
SERVICES AND OFFERINGS OF INTEREST
Key points
Services and offerings of interest
Figure 41: Services and offerings of interest, by gender, December 2010
Figure 42: Services and offerings of interest, by age, December 2010
Figure 43: Services and offerings of interest, by household income, December 2010
WHY CONSUMERS DON’T USE CONVENIENCE STORES
Key points
Why consumers don’t use convenience stores
Figure 44: Why consumers don’t use convenience stores, by gender, December 2010
Figure 45: Why consumers don’t use convenience stores, by household income, December 2010
IMPACT OF RACE AND HISPANIC ORIGIN
Key points
Food availability and grocery shopping in minority communities
Figure 46: Frequency of visits to convenience stores, by race/Hispanic origin, December 2010
Figure 47: Reasons why consumers visit convenience stores, by race/Hispanic origin, December 2010
Figure 48: Top 10 convenience stores that consumers shop at/frequent, by race/Hispanic origin, December 2010
Figure 49: Services and offerings of interest, by race/Hispanic origin, December 2010
CUSTOM CONSUMER GROUPS
Key points
Overview
Items other than gasoline can lead to increased spend
Figure 50: Spend at convenience stores, by custom groups, December 2010
Figure 51: Reasons why consumers visit convenience stores, by custom groups, December 2010
Figure 52: What consumers buy at convenience stores, by custom groups, December 2010
Figure 53: Food and drink purchases at convenience stores, by custom groups, December 2010
Figure 54: Top 10 convenience stores that consumers shop at/frequent, by custom groups, December 2010
Figure 55: Services and offerings of interest, by custom groups, December 2010
APPENDIX—OTHER USEFUL TABLES
Consumer—teen usage and frequency
Figure 56: Convenience store shopping, by outlet, by age and gender, among 12-17 year olds, July 2009-September 2010
Top 20 c-store companies
Figure 57: Top 20 convenience store companies, by total store count, July 2010
APPENDIX—TRADE ASSOCIATIONS

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