Subscribe to receive our latest news & insights
COVID-19
Reviving and Reinventing C-Store Foodservice in the COVID-19 Environment
Technomic prepared this whitepaper to provide an update on the COVID-19 pandemic and the implications for convenience-store foodservice. It assesses the current situation and the four “S” process of recovery.
Read MoreHow COVID-19 is changing consumer behavior now and forever.
This McKinsey & Company study discusses how COVID-19 is transforming consumer lives, that these behavior changes are linear, and the future is now and that retailers should prepare.
Read MoreAdapting to thrive during COVID-19
This benchmark study homes in on how employees and managers at all levels of an organization feel about their company’s response to COVID-19, operational practices, and future technology priorities. The research is not c-store specific but the information it contains is applicable to the convenience retail industry.
Read Report
Consumer Research
NACS/PDI Weekly Report on Shopper Behavior
COVID - 19 has changed how consumer shop c-stores. NACS and PDI Publish a weekly report on trips and basket-level data for the c-store industry. It includes key insights and deeper dives on each area. You can sign up to receive the reports by going to the NACS site:
Read MoreGasBuddy Consumer Ratings and Foot Traffic Report
GasBuddy just released its January – April 30, 2020 Consumer Ratings and Foot Traffic Report. It contains information on how retailers were ranked by consumers, their expectation for c-stores, and how Covid-19 has impacted the number of visits to our industry’s sites. b2b
Read MoreRealities of the Aisle Study 2020: The Importance of Experience
Convenience Store News just realize its 2020 Realities of the Aisle Study. The study was based on over 1,500 c-store shoppers. The first section of "The Importance of Experience" reports on what constitutes a positive experience for c-store shoppers.
Read MoreThe Four Values C-Store Customers Share
At the recent NACS Leadership Forum speaker David Allison spoke on the four values al c-store caterers have. The presentation was based on Valuegrahics research based 1850 respondents and measuring 420 variables.
Read MoreWhat Are the Top Reasons Consumers Don’t Visit Convenience Stores?
CSP’s reported on the research on this topic conducted by Technomic Inc. More than half of the responses regardless of geography was high prices. This article highlights some of the other reasons.
Read MoreThe Rise and Fall of the Cashless Store
Frictionless checkout is a hot topic in the c-store industry. This NACS article asks “does the technology have a future? It references a number of research articles on the topic.
Read More2019 Convenience Store Report
TrendSource’s 2020 Convenience Store Industry Report focuses on generation—how do different age cohorts understand the issues facing c-stores, what do they want, and how can convenience stores plan for a millennial-driven future while ensuring they do not alienate their Gen-X and Baby Boomer base. TrendSource states “Three issues will dominate c-store trends in the coming decade more than any other: fresh and elevated food to-go, frictionless checkout and automation, and cannabis sales."
Read MoreFoot Traffic Report Q3 2018
GasBuddy examined more than 20 million consumer visits to fuel and convenience retailers between July 1 and September 30, 2018. This data provides actionable insights into consumer behavior and the factors that influence foot traffic.
Read ReportFoot Traffic Report 2018 Year in Review
GasBuddy examined more than 101 million consumer visits to fuel and convenience retailers in 2018. This data provides actionable insights into consumer behavior and the factors that influence foot traffic.
Read ReportTime To Shop
This NACS research provides consumer insights on how convenience stores deliver quick shopping experiences. It includes how consumers shop at convenience stores, how they define value, and trends that could impact the future definition of convenience.
Read ResearchWhat Consumers Want From Convenience Stores Today: Part 1
C-Store News published this article based on AlixPartners’ Convenience Store Consumer Study of over 1,000 adult c-store customers across the U.S. It includes key findings on how c-store customers view the industry’s foodservice offers, and loyalty.
Read ArticleWhat Consumers Want From Convenience Stores Today: Part 2
This article continues to dive into the AlixPartners’ Convenience Store Consumer Study for information on what is important to the industry’s customers. C-store customers ranked different convenience store programs. It lists a number of conclusions on both opportunities and challenges for c-stores.
Read ArticleGas Buddy’s Fuel & Convenience Report Card – Q1 2019
Fuel and Convenience Store Quality Rankings in Cleanliness, Coffee, Customer Service, Outdoor Lighting, Restrooms, and Overall Experience. Retailers can use this information to guide their decisions on how to improve their customer shopping experience.
Read ResearchGas Buddy’s Fuel & Convenience Report Card – Q2 2019
GasBuddy examined more than 2 million ratings and reviews submitted in the GasBuddy app from April 1 - June 30, 2019, focusing on the overall experience category. It also include segmentations data for the following cleanliness, coffee, customer service, outdoor lighting, restrooms, and overall experience.
Read ResearchGetting to the Core: The Shopping Preferences of Men vs. Women
C-Store News sister company EIQ Research Solutions surveyed over 1,000 c-store shoppers to determine the plus and minus of store types across different demographics. The results demonstrate the convenience / retail petroleum industry needs to work harder at attracting female shoppers.
Read ResearchEmbracing Modern Convenience: Responding to Shopper Needs
This NACS/Coca-Cola Retailing Research Council (CCRRC) engaged the Hartman Group, Inc. to undertake a study to understand the changing needs states of the convenience store shopper. The research contains an in-depth look at the current state of the industry, how to retain its current relevance, and implications for the future of c-stores.
Read ResearchWhat Does ‘Convenience’ Really Mean to Today’s C-store Shoppers?
C-Store News conducted research to determine how convenience is defined by the convenience industry’s customers in its 2019 Convenience Store News Realities of the Aisle consumer study. It contains information on shopper frequency and why the respondents shop a particular c-store or c-stores.
Read Article
Fuel
Study: EV Drivers Would Prefer Charging at Gas Stations – If They Could
The Georgia Institute of Technology School of Public Policy just released a study focused on the attitudes of electric vehicle drivers existing charger network.
Read More9 Habits of Gas-Buying Customers
40 million Americans purchase gas every day. This NACS Consumer Fuels Survey captured information from 1,101 fuels consumers nationwide over the period of January 17-23, 2019. This report includes information on 9 of their habits surrounding a fuels purchase.
Read ResearchFrom Canopy to Store: How to Turn Fuel Customers into Store Customers
This report from Gas Buddy addresses how to increase the conversion rate from fuel only customers to fuel and store customers. The report highlights issues that prevent fuel customer from making store purchases. It also contains information on strategies and promotions that help convert fuel-only customers and drive incremental visits from those who already visit the convenience store.
Read ReportThe State of Gas Station Restrooms | 2019
This Gas Buddy report discusses the important c-store/gas station restrooms. It leverages insights from the ratings, reviews, and behaviors of their more than 12 million active monthly users. It includes facts about the importance of restrooms on c-store customer behavior.
Read ReportConsumer Behavior at the Pump
This NACS report covers the how, when, and where c-store consumers purchase fuel. It reports on overall driving habits, gas-buying behavior, and opportunities for retailers to change consumer behavior. It reports on a number of key insights, driving habits, gas buying behavior and how that behavior is changing.
Read Research
Foodservice
Leveraging a high margin category in this “new normal”
Winsight just hosted a Webinar that covered the following areas – Improving your existing foodservice profitability, How to make informed decisions to try new offerings with less risk and moving into contactless and delivery services to keep and increase your customer base.
Read More2019 Foodservice Study
C-Store News published a bonus supplement to its 2019 Foodservice Study. It highlights the opportunities and some of the obstacles faced by the industry’s retailers including labor and increased competition from other channels.
Read MoreBest Practices For Strategic Food Service Operations
This article by Deborah Holand, b2b Solutions Consulting Partner details what is entailed in strategic innovation for foodservice. It covers the Discovery Process, Creating the Value Proposition, Menu Engineering and developing the Strategic Enablers. Contact us for more information.
Read ArticleSo You Want To Sell Fresh Food!
This article by John Schaninger, b2b Solutions Consulting Partner asks and answers the question to you need to sell fresh food to you customers. Outlines a number of steps you need to take as part of the decision-making process. These include how to begin, determine what categories you might want to focus one, how to assess your capabilities and commitment, and many more.
Read PresentationCoffee In Convenience
This presentation by John Schaninger, b2b Solutions Consulting Partner, includes information on the importance of beverages as part of a convenience store’s foodservice offer. Included is information on what today’s c-store customers want included in a beverage offer with an in-depth look at hot, cold coffee.
Read PresentationStudy Reals Gas Station “Eating” into $250B Quick Serve Restaurant Market Share
Gas Buddy conducted a research study to determine how, why, and where convenience store foodservice is gaining on QSRs. This report highlights their findings.
Read ReportFDA Menu Labeling Fact Sheet
The FDA issued a Fact Sheet regarding the new menu labeling requirements going forward. The three-page PDF contains links to a number of documents including Small Entity Compliance guide and Menu Labeling Rules.
Read Fact SheetMenu Labeling Training Module
The FDA developed an education module to help retailers understand the menu labeling requirements. It describes what type of establishments and foods are covered by the regulations.
Menu Training ModuleAmerica's New Favorite Restaurants Are C-Stores
CNN Business reported on how convenience stores have reinvented themselves to meet the ways American now eat. Not only by improving the quality of their offers but by capitalizing on the snacking trend.
Read More
Industry Metrics
Convenience Store News Midyear Report Card
C-Store News recently publish its report card for the first half of 2020. It benchmarks the impact COVID -19 has had on sales and unit volumes for key categories. Great tool to use to see if you company trends matches those of the industry.
Read ReportTop 202 Convenience Stores in 2019
CSP and Technomics develop a comprehensive list of the top 202 c-store chains based on December 31, 20198 data. The report indicates the chains 2019 and 2018 ranking and the number of stores it currently has.
Read ReportCurrent Trends and What’s Ahead in the Beverage /Tobacco Industry
Bonnie Herzog. Senior Analyst with Wells Fargo recently presented an in-depth look at over-arching c-store data and trends and an in-depth look at beverage and tobacco at the Georgia Association of Convenience Stores. Topics included, but were not limets to the following:
For a copy of the presentation contact Bonnie Herzog
- Recent C-Store Data & Trends
- Factors Weighing On C-Store Profitability
- The Important Relationship Between Bevs, Tobacco & C-Stores
- Takeaways From Wells Fargo’s Recent C-Store Beverage Retailer Surveys
- JUUL Leads E-Cigs/Vapor RenaissanceNielsen Restates C-Store Data
Material Improvement Across Tobacco & Bevs in volume trends for Cigarettes and Energy Drinks. The restatement indicates volume “ growth for C-store heavy categories is materially higher (+300bps or more in some cases) than previously reported”
For a copy of the PDF contact Bonnie HerzogNACS Category Definitions Guide
NACS Research Committee has established a guide for the classification of the goods and services within the convenience / retail petroleum industry. This standard categorization method allows the c-store industry’s retailers and suppliers to have a meaningful benchmarking system.
Read GuideC-Store News Industry Report 19
This report does a deep dive into the industry metrics reported in its 44th annual Convenience Store News Industry Report. It notes the numbers reported indicates some trends are not so rosy when you take a deeper look.
Read ReportC-Store News Top 100 C-Store Retailers Report
This report ranks the top 100 c-store chains in the U.S. It includes the chain’s name, average all commodity volume, total store count, the number of company operated stores, the number of franchise/licensee stores, and the primary store names.
Read Report2018 CONVENIENCE STORE REPORT
TrendSource surveyed 2,1073 respondents about their preferences, priorities, and pain points when it comes to convenience store shopping. Their input was segmented for gender, generation, community (rural, urban, suburban), and frequency of visits.
Read Report
Products
IRI New Product Pacesetter Report
IRI just released its new products Pacesetters Report for 2019. Among the wealth of data the 23 page report contains are the top pacesetters for the following categories: Food and Beverages, Non-Foods, C-Store, and Food and Beverages Rising Stars.
Read More2019 Cannabis Report
TrendSource explores “To what extent are consumers comfortable with these industries incorporating cannabis into their products and services, what is the best way for these industries to go about it, and how can they do so without alienating a portion of their consumer base?”
Read MoreAttract the CBD Consumer
C-Store News article discusses who are the biggest customers of CBD products currently. It addresses the changes likely to occur when the FDA rules on the regulation of CDB in food and beverages.
Read ReportPackaged Beverage Study
GasBuddy research reviewed the majority of customer prefer quenching their thirst at convenience stores and do so at lest once a week. This study highlights the difference between age groups for store preference for packaged beverages, their loyalty to packaged beverage brands and the importance of coupons and/or deals on their purchase decision.
Read ReportThe CBD Consumer Experience, Part One
High Yield Insights has developed an in-depth report on CBD. It provides a comprehensive and in-depth study into the CBD consumer’s motivations, usage, and attitudes as it relates to CBD-only and other products, including cannabis with THC.
Read ReportThe CBD Consumer Experience, Two
This report is the second part of High Yields series on the CBD consumer’s motivations, usage, and attitudes as it relates to CBD-only and other products, including cannabis with THC.
Read More
M&A
Financing and Merger & Acquisition Activity in Today's Dynamic Market
This presentation was given by NRC Reality and Capital Advisors at the Southeast Petro-Food Marketing Exposition. It includes factors that influence both gasoline supply and rack to retail margins, industry pressures and challenges, retailer financing options, and the economics of M&A transactions.
Read PresentationBehavioral Finance: A Closer Look at Human Psychology During Times of Economic Confidence and Uncertainty
Matrix Capital recently published a detailed article that discusses behavioral finance and contracts it to traditional finance.
Read more
Social Media
The Ten Tenets of Social Media
This article by John Schaninger, b2b Solutions Consulting Partner, highlights 10 things a c-store retailer should do to create engagement with their customers.
Read Presentation