2024 was a record year for in-store sales at U.S. convenience stores, according to data released Wednesday by the National Association of Convenience Stores. Strong foodservice and merchandise sales contributed to $335.5 billion in sales in 2024, a 2.4% increase over sales in 2023, NACS said. This was also the 22nd consecutive year of record in-store sales.
Total c-store sales, including fuel and in-store items, were $837.4 billion in 2024, down from $859.8 billion in 2023, according to NACS. Expenses for c-stores increased 5.2% in 2024.
Foodservice sales—which include prepared food, commissary and hot, cold and frozen dispensed beverages—were a bright spot. They accounted for 28.7% of in-store sales, and 39.6% of in-store gross margin dollars at convenience stores in 2024, NACS said.
Most foodservice sales are from prepared food, which accounted for 68.4% of foodservice sales in 2024.
Foodservice in convenience stores has come a long way in the past 20 years. In 2004, only 11.9% of in-store sales came from foodservice, the association said.
Areas that struggled were fuel and tobacco.
C-stores, which sell an estimated 80% of the fuel purchased in the United States, saw total fuels revenues decrease 5.7% to $501.9 billion in 2024. This was a result of a 6.5% decrease in the average gas price, NACS said, which was $3.31 in 2024 compared to $3.55 in 2023.
Among the top 10 in-store merchandise categories, excluding foodservice, cigarettes were the only one with negative sales and gross profit growth.
Industry metrics were released during the NACS State of the Industry Summit in Dallas.
Founded in 1961 as the National Association of Convenience Stores, Alexandria, Virginia-based NACS advances the role of convenience stores as positive economic, social and philanthropic contributors to the communities they serve and is an adviser to retailer and supplier members from more than 50 countries.
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