Once upon a time, convenience stores were gas stations with a small retail establishment attached. Consumers would visit these places to fill up their cars and maybe buy a pack of gum or another small item for good measure. However, in recent years c-stores have seen remarkable success on the retail scene, outpacing some related categories such as grocery stores. Placer.ai’s recently released white paper “C-Store Trends & the Brands Leading the Way” explains that modern convenience stores are no longer just places to fill up your car but also offer specialty coffee, quick dinner options and groceries on the way home from work.
Inflation has driven more consumers towards dollar and value oriented grocery stores; however many c-store chains are seeing similar lifts in visits due to better food offerings such as fresh coffee, baked goods and fast food items like Slurpees or hot dogs from 7 Elevens or hoagies from Wawas etc.. Additionally higher gas prices meant fewer visits to fueling stations yet foot traffic at convenience store trended sharply upwards during this period according to Placer’s research head R J Hottovy . The C-store segment is highly regional with different brands dominating different areas of America – 7 Eleven dominates West Coast while Maverick Adventure’s First Stop is famous in Wyoming/Utah , Cumberland Farms New England , Buc ee’s Texas & Wawa Florida/Maryland/Pennsylvania /Virginia /New Jersey . Furthermore C Stores become increasingly popular during summer months when people look for affordable luxuries instead of going on large expensive grocery runs . As we move past peak travel season there will likely be some moderation in visitation growth however it is expected that this category will continue positive growth through 2024 due expansion into new markets along with offering affordable food options .
