Driving Trips in the Convenience Channel: A Roadmap for Growth

Introduction

This report is a joint effort between the Coca‑Cola Retailing Research Council (CCRRC), NACS, and Cadent Consulting Group, created to bring the convenience channel a clear, evidence-based view of what drives trips today and a practical roadmap for growing them tomorrow.

Drawing on extensive shopper research conducted throughout 2026, as well as industry data, it is designed to help operators of every size understand the forces shaping the channel and provide practical recommendations to act on them with confidence.

A Word From the Coca‑Cola Retailing Research Council & NACS

The convenience channel has always been built on a simple promise: to be there when and where shoppers need us. But that promise is being tested. Shopper expectations are rising, competition is intensifying from every direction, and the habits that once brought people through our doors can no longer be taken for granted. This is a moment that demands honesty about the challenges ahead - and conviction about the opportunity in front of us. Because the opportunity is real.

The channel reaches more shoppers, more often, than almost any other, and it is uniquely built for the fast, intentional trips that define modern life. What we do with that advantage is up to us. This report is our effort to meet the moment - to move past assumptions and ground our decisions in what shoppers truly want, need, and respond to.

From that foundation, we have built a roadmap for growth: a clear set of investments and priorities designed to capitalize on the opportunity and improve trip frequency across the channel. The path forward will require real work and real commitment. But the reward is a chance to transform convenience into one of the most powerful, resilient forces in retail. The opportunity is ours, but we must act to seize it.

Executive Summary

Current Situation

How to Think About The Current Situation

What to Do

Ability to address hierarchy of needs varies by chain size

Priority Action Areas

The Crossroads

Real pressure and real opportunity, at a defining moment for the channel.

The convenience channel is at a critical juncture. On one side are headwinds that have been building within the channel for years compounded by new, emerging challenges as the world evolves. On the other is opportunity, signs of renewed momentum and durable channel strengths that point to a path forward, if the channel chooses to build on them. These opposing forces make this a defining moment of truth. The path forward means approaching the opportunity with eyes wide open, embracing the promise while managing the persistent headwinds.

Investing in Trip Growth

The investments that win trips, and the hierarchy that orders them.

How to Win

4 Investments to Win Trips

A Call to Action

Addressing the Hierarchy of Needs

To build an operation that can win trips, operators must prioritize investments in a practical manner that acknowledges current realities and finite resources. We have leveraged a simple framework – a hierarchy of needs – focused around taking the next step. We will revisit this hierarchy throughout the report.

The Convenience Channel Hierarchy of Shopper Needs

Competing for the Trip

C-stores aren’t just up against each other, but a broader field of channels.

The Convenience channel is facing heightened competition for trips today

The Convenience channel had 54B trips (transactions) in 2025. With an estimated 154K convenience stores in the United States, this equates to hundreds of daily trips per store on average. Given the sheer number of trips, there are many opportunities for operators to meet the needs of their shoppers. However, long-term channel pressure has made trips a precious commodity – and growth means incenting more trips and building the basket on existing trips.

Since 2022, Convenience has experienced a decline of -1.4B inside transactions (-3.3%). This trend has challenged operators, considering broader channel trips have been on an upward trajectory as shoppers make frequent trips across multiple outlets. Walmart, Dollar, Club, and Amazon have benefited. However, there is room for optimism. In Q1 2026, the convenience channel experienced a +6.4% increase in Merchandise trips, a rate that surpassed the all-outlet rate of 2.9%. As trips grow broadly, it will be critical for Convenience to win – and maintain – a fair share. Convenience represents fewer than 4% of all Merchandise trips. Given the national footprint, there is untapped upside.

Growing trips will require continuing to meet older cohort needs as well as capturing high growth younger cohorts

In merchandise categories across all-outlets, Gen X and Boomers still make up over 65% of trips. The magnitude of these cohorts makes it critical that convenience stores continue to compete for these trips.

However, as Boomers age out, convenience stores must grow with younger cohorts. Gen Z only comprises 4% of merchandise trips but growth is +8%. This cohort represents the future opportunity. Meanwhile, Millennials represent a large cohort with increasing buyer power.

The convenience channel must meet the needs of these growth cohorts while retaining older shoppers. The share of trips will shift to Gen Z and Millennials in the coming years.

Competition for the trip extends far beyond the convenience store

Primary Intended Category at C-Store (Stated)

What Drives the Trip

What shoppers come for, when, and how to win each part of the trip.

The right products at the right time

What the Day Looks Like

Hot/Cold Beverages bookend the day. Peaks in the morning and spikes again in the afternoon - a dominant traffic driver.

Prepared Foods own AM & midday. Meals are strongest early through midday, then fade. Fresh & Alt. Snacks fill the afternoon gap. Meals + dispensed beverage represents 29% of all in-store $ sales¹.

Packaged merchandise in evenings. Salty/sweet/candy and beverages all peak in the evening. Less of a primary driver but extremely common and represents 20% of all in-store $ sales.

Tobacco has consistent demand. Cigarettes & other tobacco carries demand throughout the day, providing a stable base and represents 25% of all in-store $ sales today.

% of Shoppers Selecting Primary Category at a Given Time of Purchase (Select Categories)

As operators evaluate offerings, it will be critical to invest in categories that drive trips at each daypart. Winning trips in heavy periods – such as morning rush hour and later afternoon – is an important foundation. Reaching consumers in lower incidence periods is an opportunity. According to shoppers, only 19% of c-store trips occur after 5pm – compared to ~40% of trips at QSR3 - with prepared foods declining as a trip driver. This may represent an important opportunity to develop meal offerings that can better compete for this late day trip.

What moves trips up (or down)

Investing Where It Matters

A handful of levers have a significant impact on trips. Price, cleanliness, efficiency, and foodservice consistently drive whether shoppers show up making them the clearest priorities.

Some levers are low-cost and foundational. Clean, well-organized stores and an efficient checkout are within reach of any operator. Other levers including better prepared food and loyalty programs require more meaningful investment, but they're also where operators can create separation.

The path to growth: Deliver the fundamentals everyone expects, then invest against the levers that unlock the next trip for each cohort.

What Encourages Trips

Top 5 Reasons Selected by C-Store Shoppers

1. Lower or more competitive prices (40%)
2. Faster checkout / easier shopping (29%)
3. Cleaner, well-organized stores (28%)
4. Better prepared food options (27%)
5. Promotions or loyalty rewards (27%)

What Discourages Trips

Top 5 Reasons Selected by C-Store Shoppers

1. Prices are too high (32%)
2. Poor / unclean restrooms (19%)
3. Food quality misses expectations (16%)
4. Long lines or slow service (16%)
5. Store feels dirty or unkempt (16%)

Lagging on fundamentals like numbers 2, 4 and 5 causes missed trips.

Who Fundamentals Matter to Most

Winning Trips with Foodservice – A Growth Opportunity

Why shoppers choose C-store for foodservice

Need-based

1. Quick and easy in/out (49%)
2. Closest / most convenient (37%)
3. Open when I need it (30%)

Why shoppers choose QSR for foodservice

Equity-builders

1. Consistently good quality (40%)
2. Quick and easy in/out (40%)
3. Can customize my order (36%)

What matters most in C-store prepared food

1. Good value for the price (40%)
2. Looks fresh and recently prepared (39%)
3. The type of food that is offered (28%)
4. Ability to grab something quickly (27%)
5. Healthy or fresh ingredients (25%)

There is a clear opportunity for Convenience stores to better compete with QSR’s, but there are barriers to overcome. Both channels win on speed, but c-stores are chosen for more ‘need’ based reasons such as location and availability, while QSRs build equity and loyalty with quality and customization. C-store foodservice must provide a good value and needs to be quick – however, quality, fresh, appealing options are paramount for operators to more credibly compete for the meal trip against QSR.

With the fundamental needs met, Foodservice is a growth driver.

Foodservice at Convenience has untapped potential

The Foodservice Opportunity

Mobile ethnography participants

Foodservice has become an engine of c-store economics, driving a disproportionate share of profit on a smaller base of sales. Yet, shopper perception has not caught up to investment: many shoppers still carry a quality and trust gap from inconsistent experiences. The growth runway is significant, but it runs directly through credibility - winning the next wave of foodservice trips depends less on adding items than on convincing shoppers the food is as fresh, safe, and as good as the alternatives they already trust.

Winning Trips with Merchandise (CPG)

Traditional departments experiencing new growth

As we dive deeper into traditional core product categories, some key trends emerge that provide clues on how to grow trips. For instance, beer was down -2.4% but RTD cocktails were up +33.8% in dollar sales per store. In tobacco, premium cigarettes were down -3.3% while value cigarettes were up +11.2%. Smokeless tobacco alternatives were up +35.5%. New growth segments are emerging across traditional core categories. Despite their smaller size today, they indicate a broader trend for growth.

The merchandise items purchased varies by age cohort

Select categories

With the goal of ensuring longer term loyalty with the younger shopper, there are clear differences in the merchandise items a younger shopper is likely to purchase vs. an older shopper. Younger shoppers are much more likely to purchase salty snacks as well as healthier, alternative snacks like snack/nutrition bars than older cohorts.

Notably, these are categories that are more at-risk in the convenience channel today (see page 12), with shoppers – especially younger shoppers - often considering alternate locations to purchase. To win trips with younger shoppers, it will be important to provide a strong, on-trend assortment in these categories that can compete with grocery, club, and beyond. That means the right brands and the right products. Here, partnership with manufacturers becomes critical to ensure items are addressing true consumer needs and trends.

Healthier offerings drive trips and help build the basket for GLP-1 shoppers

Winning Trips with Fuel

Convenience channel is chosen for fuel due to routine and convenience aspects.

% Selecting Within Each Channel

% Selecting Within Each Channel

Leveraging Loyalty Programs

Loyalty is one of the channel's most underused advantages. More than 70% of convenience shoppers say loyalty programs influence where they shop, and most already feel a pull toward specific chains. This indicates the potential to convert casual visits into committed ones. The programs that resonate are reaching shoppers where it matters most: fuel discounts and free food or beverage rewards top the list of what drives more visits. The opportunity is especially pronounced with Millennials. 51% of Millennials (vs. 42% all shoppers) say they're very loyal to a particular brand or chain, making them a prime audience for programs built to deepen an already strong inclination.

Rewards that would most motivate convenience store visits.

Overcoming Trip Barriers with Fundamentals

Converting the buy once shoppers are in-store

Based on shopper experience from most recent trip

Sight, Smell, Savings

Once a shopper is in the store, the environment itself becomes a powerful growth lever. While most trips are planned, the right in-store triggers can turn a single-item run (or a trip to the restroom) into a larger basket without slowing down the shopper. Three forces stand out: the sensory pull of foodservice (sight, smell, and an appealing station), well-placed and compelling displays that put the right product in the right path, and clear promotions that create an in-the-moment sense of value. These are the levers operators most directly control - and small improvements at the shelf and counter can meaningfully shift what ends up in the basket.

The Activation Roadmap

Where operators stand today and the practical steps to grow from here.

Winning the trip requires addressing the hierarchy of needs across key revenue streams

A sequenced approach leads to strong execution and long-term success

Before You Begin: 3 principles for prioritizing investment

01: Evaluate performance against fundamentals

Clean store, clean restroom, in-stock, fast, friendly service, and fair prices unlock future opportunities.

These are table stakes and mostly low-cost. Strength on the basics enables trip growth.

02: Address SELECT growth levers where you can win

Choose a lever your store can practically support – not a massive leap – that directly appeals to the shoppers you already have.

Meet them where they are before chasing new ones.

03: Go deep, not wide – excellence over breadth

One growth lever or signature experience well executed beats several done halfway.

Success will reinforce quality and trust to drive long term loyalty

What’s Next? Understand Your C-Store Trip Drivers

How you can uncover further insights about the trips most relevant to your customers with our dynamic insights tool.

Customize insights from this report by region, operator size, demographic, and more!

Behind the Report

About the authors & research methodology

Who We Are

The NACS Coca‑Cola Retailing Research Council is composed of convenience industry leaders from around the world. It conducts studies on issues that help retailers respond to the changing marketplace. The unique value of these studies rests with the fact that retailers define the objective and scope of each project and “own” the process through the release of the study and its dissemination to the broader retail community.

Our Mission

To identify big issues facing convenience retailers, do research that uncovers ways to deal with them, and then to encourage retailers to use these new ideas to improve their business.

The NACS Coca‑Cola Retailing Research Council

Cadent Consulting Group, LLC

Cadent is a team of practical strategists with deep roots in the consumer goods industry who bring an actionable, solution-oriented approach to consulting. We exist at the intersection of shoppers, retailers, and manufacturers. To learn more about how Cadent can partner with you, please visit us online or reach out to our team below.

Learn more at www.cadentcg.com. Connect with us by emailing Info@Cadentcg.com.

Behind the Report

Driving Trips in the Convenience Channel study was conducted by Cadent Consulting Group in partnership with the NACS/Coca‑Cola Retailing Research Council in the first half of 2026 to better clarify how operators – large and small alike – can overcome shopper barriers and meet real consumer needs to compete more effectively for trips in today’s competitive environment. Our aim is to provide practical, action-oriented solutions for convenience store operators as they navigate this dynamic.

Qualitative/Discovery Research

• Stakeholder interviews: Interviews were conducted with members of the NACS/Coca‑Cola Retailing Research Council to capture operator perspective on the challenges and opportunities facing the convenience channel.
• Manufacturer interviews: Multiple interviews were conducted with manufacturers – across packaged food/beverage – with a strong presence in the convenience channel, in order to understand their perspective on the challenges and opportunities in the channel
• Store Audits: 20+ store walks were conducted across convenience stores nationally, incorporating a wide variety of formats and operating models
• Consumer mobile ethnography: A two-week mobile ethnography was conducted in February 2026 among 20 regular convenience store shoppers – across 55 unique trips - each of whom had purchased at a convenience store within the past two weeks. Participants were recruited to span national chains, regional chains, and independent operators, with representation across all regions. Findings informed development of the quantitative survey.

Qualitative Research

• Quantitative Survey: A 20-minute online survey was fielded in May 2026 to n=2,000 U.S. convenience store shoppers ages 18–72, each of whom had purchased something from a convenience store within the past two weeks. The sample included 1,750 shoppers who made an in-store purchase beyond fuel and 250 fuel-only shoppers. Sample was structured to represent convenience store trips, with regional targets based on NACS region share of store trips and gender, generation and income set against the observed convenience shopper base. Margin of error for the total sample is ±2.2% at the 95% confidence level.
• Syndicated Data: NACS CSX Data Sept 2025, Circana POS/Panel 52 weeks ending March 2026, Nielsen IQ Convenience Retail Track 2021-2025

Category Definitions

• Category definitions (e.g., foodservice, salty snacks, etc.) follow the NACS Category Definitions & Number Guide 8.0, which can be found at: https://www.convenience.org/stay-current/retail-trends-and-category-resources/nacs-category-definitions-number-guide