Charting an Innovation Roadmap
NATIONAL REPORT — The COVID-19 pandemic set off an innovation race in the U.S. convenience store industry, and the pace of innovation has not hit the brakes yet. The speed of change in the industry continues to accelerate as c-stores must keep up with evolving customer needs and wants.
Falling behind can be especially detrimental in the convenience channel because c-store shoppers make a habit of visiting their preferred store. One of the findings of the 2024 Convenience Store News Realities of the Aisle Study, which surveyed 1,500 consumers who shop a c-store at least once a month, is that 84% typically shop at the same location for every c-store visit.
Stops Along the Innovation Roadmap
While the innovation roadmap may be slightly different for each convenience store operator depending on their resources, customer base, operating area and competition, there are common mileposts along the journey to becoming a preferred destination for c-store shoppers.
In this special report, Convenience Store News explores five strategic avenues that are redefining convenience retail today and poised to continue driving the industry in the years ahead:
- The Store Experience
- Foodservice Innovation
- Customer Engagement
- Data-Driven Decision Making
- Workforce Optimization
