1. Connecting with Convenience Stores
Anna Ready

2. The Convenience Store Industry
Convenience Stores $550 billion
($317 billion gas, $233 billion in store)
Restaurants $709 billion
Supermarkets $669 billion
Drug stores* $264 billion
*(not including prescriptions)
#21 GDP if a country, just above Switzerland

3. Brick & Mortar U.S. Retail
Trade Channel
2016
2017
Unit Change
% Change
Convenience Store
154,535
154,958
423
0.27%
Single Stores
97,504
97,643
139
0.14%
Category Killer
87,983
86,306
(1,677)
-1.91%
Liquor Store
47,073
46,257
(816)
-1.73%
Drug
43,636
43,169
(467)
-1.07%
Supermarket
51,191
51,134
(57)
-0.11%
Dollar
28,832
30,332
1,500
5.20%
Cigarette Outlet
11,085
11,006
(79)
-0.71%
Mass Merchandiser
6,727
6,470
(257)
-3.82%
Wholesale Club
1,370
1,387 17
1.24%
Kiosk/Other
20,699
19,921
(778)
-3.76%
Total Retail
453,131
450,940
(2,191)
-0.48%

4. Serving Half of America
Customer counts:
160 million customers per day
1,100 customers per store per day

5. Convenience Stores & SNAP
117,591 c-stores participate in SNAP
63% single store businesses

6. How Retailers Participate in SNAP:
Criterion A
A store must stock 3 varieties of food in the 4 staple food categories and have 3 units of each variety on shelves.
There must be at least 1 perishable variety in 3 staple food categories (as of January 17, 2018).
Criterion B
A store must have more than 50% of its total gross retail sales from the sale of staple foods.

7. Access = Proximity
51% of all Americans live less than 1 mile from a c-store
94% of urban Americans that live less than 3 miles from a c-store
60% of rural Americans that live less than 3 miles from a c-store
81% of rural Americans live within 10 minutes of a c-store

8. Access = Hours of Service
Most c-stores are open 24 hours per day, 7 days per week
14.8% of full-time workers work second or third shifts  they can only shop long after most other food stores are closed

9. Limitations Our Stores Face
Space and storage constraints
Delivery constraints
Consumer demand

10. What items do you sell? We asked retailers: Fresh fruit/vegetables 74
Items sold in stores
% of stores selling
Added/enhanced in past six months 2017
Fresh fruit/vegetables 74 47
Cut fruit/vegetables 43 29
Nuts/trail mix 94 41
Health bars 96 45
Boiled eggs 59 8
Packaged salads 54 35
Yogurt 75 18
String cheese 72 12
Source: NACS Q Retailer Sentiment Survey

11. 85% NACS members that say they sell fresh produce
Trends in C-Stores
NACS and Fresh Produce
49% Consumers that say
they can get fresh produce at c-stores
(43% in 2014)
85% NACS members that say they sell fresh produce
(72% in 2013)
14.4% C-store produce sales growth
(5 X greater than U.S. increase of 2.7%)

12. What We’re Doing NACS reFresh launched in 2014
Vision: to lead positive change in how small format stores sell food and serve their communities.
Mission: To provide resources and to create partnerships with like-minded community- and nutrition-focused groups to generate positive action in support of small format improvement. To cultivate meaningful relationships with key opinion-leaders in the media, government and other areas who can help better the industry and its image.
Change doesn’t happen overnight; working towards this mission with our partners to better equip our retailers to help them as they make the shift towards fresh

13. Resources for Retailers
Convenience Matters podcast
NACS Magazine features
Ideas 2 Go Videos
Partnerships

14. Focusing on Fresh Distribution

15. PHA Commitment
Continue to encourage NACS retailer and supplier members to take advantage of working with PHA.
Develop a web-based resource that will help members identify products as being healthy options in defining their better-for-you sets.
Continue to engage corner stores that are often the only food source for residents.
Disseminate “Drink Up” outreach materials that encourages customers to stay hydrated.
Emphasize wellness at the NACS office and events.

16. Online Calculator (convenience.org/calculator)

17. Drink Up
Convenience stores sell 46% of all single-serve bottled water (Source: Nielsen)

18. Corner Store Initiative
35,000 stores in U.S.
800-2,000 square feet

19. Do you want to learn more?
Anna Ready, Director of Government Relations
Jeff Lenard, Vice President of Strategic Initiatives
Carolyn Schnare, Director, Strategic Initiatives