Report Summary
Everything you need to make the right decisions
Providing the most comprehensive and up-to-date information and analysis of the Convenience Store – US market including the behaviours, preferences and habits of the consumer.
Mintel has the answers you’re looking for
What are the key challenges facing the industry? Who is the consumer and what do they want? Where are the opportunities, where are the risks and what lies ahead?
Covered in this report
Accelerating growth in in-store sales is a key challenge for c-stores. Operators must continue to explore ways to strengthen foodservice and packaged goods offerings
The most frequent and committed convenience store visitors, who tend to fall into the 18-34 age group, may represent the shortest path to increased sales across a wider variety of categories.
Expert analysis from a specialist in the field
Written by John Owen, a leading analyst in the Retail sector, his extensive knowledge delivers in-depth commentary and analysis to highlight current trends and add expert context to the numbers.
While fuel sales generate as much as two thirds of total convenience stores revenue and remain a core traffic driver, c-store operators are increasingly turning their attention to in-store categories as the most direct path to increased sales and profits. Still, convenience stores face considerable challenges in categories like foodservice and packaged foods and beverages, where consumer preferences are changing and the competition is growing more intense 
John Owen
Associate Director Food & Retail
Table of Contents
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Overview
- What you need to know
- Definition
- What you need to know
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Executive Summary
- Top takeaways
- The issues
- Slow growth for in-store not enough to offset fluctuations in fuel revenue
- Figure 1: Total US convenience store revenues and forecast, by segment, at current prices, 2014-19
- C-stores attract more than three quarters of consumers
- Figure 2: Convenience store types visited, December 2019
- Frequent visits the norm
- Figure 3: Frequency of convenience store visits, December 2019
- The opportunities
- With frequent visitors an opportunity to get beyond gas and food
- Figure 4: Reasons for visiting convenience stores, by convenience store visit frequency, December 2019
- Beyond convenience: selection, service key to building visits and purchases
- Figure 5: Reasons for choosing a convenience store over other channels, by age, December 2019
- Young shoppers prefer convenience stores but want healthier choices
- Figure 6: Attitudes toward convenience stores, by age, December 2019
- Top takeaways
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The Market – What You Need to Know
- Convenience store revenues fluctuate on swings in fuel prices
- Slow growth for in-store not enough to offset fluctuations in fuel revenue
- Foodservice increases in share and importance
- Big grocers go small, creating fresh competition for c-stores
- Convenience store revenues fluctuate on swings in fuel prices
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Market Size and Forecast
- Convenience store revenues fluctuate on swings in fuel prices
- Mintel’s forecast and COVID-19
- Figure 7: Total US sales and fan chart forecast of convenience store revenues and forecast, at current prices, 2014-24
- Figure 8: Total US convenience store revenues and forecast, at current prices, 2014-24
- Convenience store revenues fluctuate on swings in fuel prices
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Market Breakdown
- Slow growth for in-store not enough to offset fluctuations in fuel revenue
- Figure 9: Total US convenience store revenues and forecast, by segment, at current prices, 2014-19
- Total tobacco products hold steady but may have a cloudy future
- Foodservice increases in share and importance
- Beverages remain a prime c-store draw amid changing tastes
- Figure 10: Distribution of convenience store in-store sales, by category, 2016 and 2018
- Slow growth for in-store not enough to offset fluctuations in fuel revenue
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Market Perspective
- C-store foodservice sales growth slows as competition intensifies
- A move to more MTO
- Figure 11: Total US convenience store foodservice sales, at current prices, 2014-19
- Big grocers go small, creating fresh competition for c-stores
- C-store foodservice sales growth slows as competition intensifies
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Market Factors
- Fluctuating fuel prices drive swings in c-store revenue and profit
- Figure 12: US gasoline and diesel retail prices, all grades annual average, 2009-19
- Fluctuating fuel prices drive swings in c-store revenue and profit
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Key Players – What You Need to Know
- Reinventing convenience stores for a new generation of shoppers
- Frictionless retail well-suited to c-stores
- Reinventing convenience stores for a new generation of shoppers
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What’s Happening
- Reinventing convenience stores for a new generation of shoppers
- Foxtrot Market: integrating in-store and online
- Choice Market: a focus on local
- 7-Eleven leverages private label to strengthen in-store sales
- Reinventing convenience stores for a new generation of shoppers
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What to Watch
- Frictionless retail well-suited to c-stores
- Frictionless retail well-suited to c-stores
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The Consumer – What You Need to Know
- C-stores attract more than three quarters of consumers
- Food, drinks and gasoline most common reasons for visiting c-stores
- A choice of convenience
- Gas prices and convenience drive c-store selection
- Better selection of food and beverages key to driving more c-store visits
- Young shoppers prefer convenience stores but seek improvements
- C-stores attract more than three quarters of consumers
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Convenience Store Visits
- C-stores attract more than three quarters of consumers
- Figure 13: Convenience store types visited, December 2019
- C-stores appeal to broad demographic, but young adults are key
- Figure 14: Convenience store types visited – NET Any c-store, by gender/age, household income, race/Hispanic origin, December 2019
- Frequent visits the norm, representing a potential platform for growth
- Figure 15: Frequency of convenience store visits, by gender/age, household income, race/Hispanic origin, December 2019
- C-stores attract more than three quarters of consumers
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Reasons for Visiting C-stores
- Food, beverages and gasoline drive c-store visits
- Figure 16: Reasons for visiting convenience stores, December 2019
- Young adults visit c-stores for a wider array of reasons
- Figure 17: Reasons for visiting convenience stores, by age, December 2019
- Frequent visitors look for more than gas and food
- Figure 18: Reasons for visiting convenience stores, by convenience store visit frequency, December 2019
- Food, beverages and gasoline drive c-store visits
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Reasons for Choosing a C-store over Other Channels
- A choice of convenience
- Figure 19: Reasons for choosing a convenience store over other channels, December 2019
- Beyond convenience: selection, service key to building visits and purchases
- Figure 20: Reasons for choosing a convenience store over other channels, by age, December 2019
- A choice of convenience
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Convenience Store Selection Factors
- Gas prices and convenience drive c-store selection
- Figure 21: Convenience store selection factors, December 2019
- Food and beverages are key to c-store loyalty
- Figure 22: Convenience store selection factors – top three, by convenience store visit frequency, December 2019
- Gas prices and convenience drive c-store selection
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Desired Improvements in C-stores
- Improvements in food and beverages key to driving more c-store visits
- Figure 23: Desired improvements in convenience stores, December 2019
- Younger shoppers more open to enhancement in food and convenience
- Figure 24: Desired improvements in convenience stores, by age, December 2019
- Frequent visitors want more food choice; non-visitors focus on health
- Figure 25: Desired improvements in convenience stores, by convenience store visit frequency, December 2019
- Improvements in food and beverages key to driving more c-store visits
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Attitudes toward Convenience Stores
- Improving perceptions but still a narrow view
- Figure 26: Attitudes toward convenience stores, December 2019
- Young shoppers prefer convenience stores but want healthier choices
- Figure 27: Attitudes toward convenience stores, by age, December 2019
- Younger shoppers more engaged in c-stores
- Figure 28: Convenience store shopping behaviors, by age, December 2019
- Improving perceptions but still a narrow view
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Appendix – Data Sources and Abbreviations
- Data sources
- Sales data
- Fan chart forecast
- Consumer survey data
- Abbreviations and terms
- Abbreviations
- Terms
- Data sources
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Appendix – The Market
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- Figure 29: Total US convenience store revenues and forecast, at inflation-adjusted prices, 2014-24
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