You walk into a convenience store at 8:15 AM. Someone’s ordering a hot breakfast meal. The guy behind you grabs a protein smoothie and scans a loyalty reward on his phone. Meanwhile, a car out front is charging for the next 30 minutes, and the driver is browsing digital deals on a screen by the pump.
You almost have to remind yourself this is a convenience store. But not the kind you remember. It’s sharper. Faster. Built for today’s habits, not yesterday’s expectations.
And scenes like this are now common in convenience stores everywhere.
To answer these questions, we analyzed data collected through consumer perception surveys as well as mystery shops and operational audits performed across the US.
Our latest 2025 Convenience Store Trends Report dives into the major trends redefining the category. We pulled data from thousands of consumer surveys, mystery shops, and in-store operational audits across North America. From made-to-order meals and fresher food to mobile loyalty and digital ads, we saw a momentous shift.
Here’s a taste of what we found.
Convenience stores aren’t playing small. And their first big swing? Made-to-order meals.
Once a pit stop for soda and chips, today’s C-Store is fast becoming a full-fledged food destination. Foodservice grew 5% in 2024 and is on track to rise another 5.7% in 2025. And with 85% of consumers saying they’ve tried made-to-order meals from a C-Store, it’s clear that people are open to more than just quick snacks. That openness is something leading brands are wasting no time capitalizing on.
Operators like Wawa are helping lead the charge, building made-to-order menus that feel more like fast-casual than fuel stop. Every item is prepared by hand, with the speed and customization customers now expect. And once they’ve had a taste, they’re coming back for more.
Here’s what else we found:
But how many said it was fresher? That’s where it gets interesting. Download the full report to find out!
What drives that made-to-order food purchase?
Sure, convenience still leads. But what’s climbing fast? Promotions and taste. Promotions shot up the ranks this year, moving from sixth to second place as a motivator. It tells us something simple: customers are hunting for value, and they’re rewarding the brands that give it to them. A hot, tasty sandwich with a deal attached? That’s hitting all the right buttons.
Taste also edged out price for the first time. It’s a sign that customers aren’t just grabbing what’s cheap. They’re choosing what they enjoy. And that’s a win for every C-Store doubling down on food quality.
But here’s something that doesn’t show up on the receipt: where people are actually eating. Most still take their meals to go, but more are staying in-store than you might think. We uncovered some surprising insights about what’s driving that choice.
The lines are blurring. 72% of consumers now see C-Stores as a viable alternative to quick-service restaurants, up significantly from 2024.
What’s behind the growth?
One word: Value.
C-Stores are delivering serious bang for the buck, with a 13-percentage point jump in consumers who say they’re getting great value from the meals they pick up. That kind of momentum is forcing QSRs to respond fast.
We’re already seeing the counterpunches:
Meanwhile, convenience retailers aren’t backing down. Brands like Circle K, EG America, and GPM are stacking up value offers, from bundled meals to loyalty discounts to snack deals, designed to pull QSR customers into their lane.
Value is the new battleground. And C-Stores are coming armed with more than just pricing. They’re showing up with better experiences, smarter promotions, and faster ways to win loyalty.
Here’s the stat that should make every operator sit up:
72% of consumers belong to a retail loyalty program. And 85% say they’d be more likely to join if rewards were personalized.
But there’s a major missed opportunity happening at checkout. One that’s quietly causing customers to leave without ever knowing about the perks they could have earned. It’s a simple fix and could flip the script for C-Store operators. This missed opportunity happened 65% of the time in our mystery shops, and you will want to download the report to find out what it was!
We also explored the world of gamified loyalty, where brands like TXB and 7-Eleven are investing in mobile-first, challenge-based systems. Think badges, bonus points, and reward tiers built to fuel repeat visits. But do they actually drive behavior?
And more importantly, does loyalty influence where customers choose to shop?
We dug into it all in the 2025 Convenience Store Trends Report.
From pump-side ads to in-store kiosks, convenience store tech is quietly becoming one of the most productive employees on the floor.
This year, 47% of shoppers said they spotted digital ads during their visit. Even more compelling? A third of them said those screens influenced a purchase. That’s serious ROI from something that doesn’t even say a word. And with retail media projected to triple by 2028, brands like Wawa, Casey’s, and 7-Eleven are turning screens into sales channels.
But it’s not just the screens doing the selling. Self-checkout is picking up steam across the industry. While 42% still prefer self-checkout, what really stood out was the age tipping point. There’s a clear line where preferences flip, from screen-first to cashier-first. And in our report, we reveal the exact age group where that shift happens.
But tech alone doesn’t guarantee a smooth experience. Our mystery shoppers flagged broken kiosks, missing signage, and clunky interfaces, often leaving customers to seek help anyway. It raises the question: Is the real problem the lack of measurement behind the execution?
Discover how mystery shopping can help you evaluate the effectiveness of your convenience store technologies.
Fuel still rules the pump area, but EV is climbing. Fast.
Even with policy delays and federal funding pauses, EV sales grew 11.4% in early 2025, and drivers are spending more time at charging stations. Often 30 to 60 minutes per visit, creating the perfect retail window.
While 9% of audited stores had EV chargers, demand is growing. One in five consumers told us EV availability would impact their choice of where to stop. We broke down the demographic data on who’s looking for chargers, where the opportunity is, and what’s getting in the way.
Store cleanliness goes a long way in terms of a first impression.
Just ask Buc-ee’s. They keep their stores clean, but they’ve also made spotless restrooms part of their brand identity. You’ll see it on their billboards, their merch, even in customer reviews. And it works. That one simple promise turns highway exits into high-traffic destinations.
Our data backs it up with 70% of consumers saying store cleanliness helps them decide if the food is fresh. We looked at everything from smell and appearance to packaging, temperature, and more.
But even a sparkling floor doesn’t mean much if the service feels off. So we looked at friendliness too, and what we found spoke volumes about the kind of energy that makes customers stick around.
Want the full story? We missed nothing in our 2025 Convenience Store Trends Report.
See how Intouch Insight played a crucial role in helping High's consistently elevate it's customer experience.
It’s not just what’s stocked on the shelves anymore. It’s what gets ordered, scanned, customized, redeemed, charged, and remembered.
And we measured it all.
Through customer surveys and mystery shops, we captured everyday decisions, silent friction points and singular moments that define an entire customer experience.
Some stores are pulling ahead. Others are still catching up. What separates them is what’s actually happening inside the store, every hour, every shift.
Thousands of shops. Thousands of customers. One goal: better convenience.
See what we uncovered.
Our Convenience Store Trends Report 2024 – Powering the Next Era of Convenience Stores looked at how tech, shifting customer habits, and growing competition from QSRs are pushing convenience stores to evolve, especially around made-to-order food and EV adoption.
Want to compare how key trends have shifted? Read the full Convenience Store Trends Report 2024.