Rutter’s is the 2026 CSP Intouch Insight Mystery Shop winner. York, Pennsylvania-based Rutter's earned a final score of 93.9%, topping Worcester, Massachusetts-based Nouria’s 92.9% and Pleasanton, California-based ExtraMile Convenience Stores’ 92.6%. Mystery Shop is conducted by CSP and data analytics firm Intouch Insight.
The audit evaluates participating convenience-store chains' cleanliness, employees and more. The winner and two runners-up were announced Wednesday at CSP’s Outlook Leadership conference in Rancho Palos Verdes, California.
Rutter’s, which has 92 stores, previously won in 2017, 2018, 2022 and 2023. Nouria, a 321-store chain, won the last two years. ExtraMile has 1,174 stores and finished first in 2004 and second in 2018.
The same three chain’s were last year’s finalists, with Nouria finishing first, ExtraMile second and Rutter’s third.
- ExtraMile is No. 9, Nouria is No. 29 and Rutter’s is No. 75 on CSP’s 2026 Top 202 U.S. c-store chains by store count.
The Mystery Shop evaluation includes a revealed audit that accounts for 50% of the final score, in which the store employees are aware an evaluation is taking place. A mystery shopper assessment, where auditors check out the store anonymously, accounts for the other 50%. This is a change from past years, where the revealed audit was 60% and the Mystery Shop portion was 40%.
“It’s easy to home in on Rutter’s, Nouria and ExtraMile, three premier chains who each year rank among the top contenders in our annual Mystery Shop," said Mitch Morrison, vice president of retailer relations at CSP owner Informa Connect and creator of the Mystery Shop.
“But I’m actually more excited about all 12 participants in this year’s study,” Morrison continued. “Not only is this the largest class we’ve ever had, but we changed the scoring system to make it harder and better reflect the heightened expectations demanded from today’s customer. And still, every operator’s score ranged from high 80s to mid-90s!”
A total of 1,387 revealed audits (overt) were conducted between May 4 and June 8, and 1,399 Mystery Shop (covert) audits were conducted between April 24 and June 6. The Mystery Shop award is given to the best performing chain after months of revealed audits and Mystery Shop assessments.
Intouch Insight’s president and CEO, Cameron Watt, said, “As we increase store complexity and automate every touchpoint from ordering on an app or a kiosk to voice AI through a speaker, we are quietly squeezing out the human parts of the customer experience. It turns out, however, that the human part is what the customers actually reward. A cold, silent handoff delivers mediocre satisfaction no matter how efficient it is; add in a real greeting and a genuine thank you, and satisfaction increases dramatically.”
The participants in this year’s study were measured not only on their execution against the standards of efficiency, but also against the standards around keeping their transactions human, Watt said.
“The performance of all this year’s participants and, in particular, the finalists, illustrate how hard this industry is working to adapt to the new customer service realities,” he said.
Rutter’s top categories
Rutter’s was one of just three chains in the contest—along with QuikTrip and Twice Daily—earning a perfect score in the employees category of the revealed audit.
People want to work for Rutter’s because they know they’re working for a winner, Desiree Dennis, senior director of operations, told CSP. The culture is highly competitive but also fun, with a lot of teamwork, “and the employees really enjoy that.”
After employees, interior was the revealed audit’s second-best category for Rutter’s, which tied for first place with Twice Daily at 98.4%.
In fountain drinks, Rutter’s scored 98%, tied for third—and its third best score. Its fourth-best score at 97.8%, was for exterior. Restrooms, at 97.7%, was the company’s fifth-best score.
In the Mystery Shop portion, Rutter’s placed second overall with a 91.8% score, second only to Murphy USA’s 92.4%. Rutter’s best score, 99%, was for “Was the restroom accessible to customers?” Its next-best score, at 98.3%, was for, “Was the employee dressed in a company uniform?” Its third-best score, 97.8%, was for, “Were all the noises within the store at a reasonable level?”
The scores and data shared here are just a portion of the 2025 Mystery Shop findings. Read more of CSP’s Mystery Shop coverage in the September magazine and listen to CSP's upcoming podcasts with Nouria, ExtraMile and Rutter’s.
Click here to read about last year’s results.
Members help make our journalism possible. Become a CSP member today and unlock exclusive benefits, including unlimited access to all of our content. Sign up here.