Outlook Survey 2016: Good to Grow
Even as labor woes, EMV upgrades, a hurricane and a presidential election pressure business conditions, c-store retailers find reasons to smile in 2016
How’s business?
It depends on whom you ask.
For 25% of convenience-store retailers who participated in CSP’s exclusive 2016 Outlook Survey, business is “excellent.”
This is the largest percentage in the 10-year history of the survey, which gauges retailer sentiment for the current year and the one ahead. An additional 48% described business conditions as “good,” meaning nearly three in four respondents were primed to have a truly decent year.
“Sales are up at the pumps and in the store,” said one retailer, who reported consistent, annual growth of 8% over multiple years.
And while c-store sales overall have been strong—with low gas prices and a revived economy providing the engine—for some retailers, growth has depended on factors outside of their control.
Here is a look at the results of our survey for the c-store industry overall and its largest product categories.
