Convenience stores are stealing share from quick-service restaurants (QSRs), according to The Future of Convenience Stores, a new report from CSP sister research arm Technomic.
Technomic data from 2025’s third quarter shows that 15% of c-store visits are lost QSR occasions. This means that in 15% of occasions where consumers visited a c-store for prepared foods or beverages, they considered going to a QSR but ultimately went to a c-store.
Afternoon and impulse occasions are where c-stores are winning, the report said.
By daypart, customers who considered visiting a QSR on a recent occasion but chose a c-store were: 39% for lunch, 37% for “all other” and 24% for an afternoon snack.
By type, occasions won from QSRs were 66% for an impulse/unplanned visit, 24% for a routine meal/everyday occasion and 10% for “other.”
C-stores are stealing occasions from leading QSRs, the report said. QSR chains that consumers considered but opted instead for a c-store included:
- McDonald’s: 38%
- Burger King: 16%
- Taco Bell: 13%
- Wendy’s: 13%
- Chick-fil-A: 7%
- Subway: 6%
This means, for example, that of those who visited a c-store for food after considering a QSR, 38% said they had thought about buying McDonald’s food but instead chose c-store food, according to a Technomic survey in 2025’s third quarter.
The report said that 67% of c-store operators agree that they are striving to compete with QSRs for consumer foodservice occasions, and 68% of consumers agree that c-stores are just as capable as restaurants in offering fresh, quality food.
In addition, c-stores are closing the gap in the share of respondents rating food quality “excellent” on a recent visit, according to the report. In 2022, 54% rated QSR food as excellent versus 41% for c-stores—a difference of 13 percentage points. Those numbers remained the same in 2023, but in 2024, 56% rated QSR food as excellent versus 44% for c-stores—a 12-point difference.
In 2025, that gap closed to 11 points: 56% versus 45%.
“The future of c-stores blurs the lines between QSR and convenience, elevating competitive intensity,” Technomic said.
Technomic recommends that c-stores:
- Showcase quality to align with operator-buying criteria
- Support operator quality cue and callout strategies
- Collaborate internally to present combo meal deals leveraging consumer-packaged good and foodservice brands
- Recognize that c-stores might impact key QSR customer sales
In addition, c-stores are gaining in loyalty, Technomic said.
In 2022, 30% of consumers reported strong brand loyalty to QSRs compared with 25% of c-store guests, a 5-point gap. Those numbers remained the same in 2023, but in 2024, QSR brand loyalty remained at 30% while c-stores jumped to 27%, a 3-point gap. In 2025, QSR consumers with strong brand loyalty rose 1 point to 31% while c-store loyalty rose to 29%, closing the gap to 2 points.
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.