CSNews Study Shows How Females Shop Convenience Stores

JERSEY CITY, N.J. -- While men still shop convenience stores more often than women, new research conducted by Convenience Store News clearly suggests that c-stores would attract more female shoppers if they offered more coupons and loyalty/frequent shopper programs.

According to CSNews' 2012 Realities of the Aisle consumer research study, 12 percent of male consumers polled said they shop at a c-store "almost every day," and 23 percent said they shop at a c-store "two or three times a week." In comparison, only 7 percent of women said they shop a c-store almost daily and 17 percent pegged their c-store shopping frequency at two or three times a week.

When it comes to the big question of how to attract more women to convenience stores, the ladies were clearly interested in seeing more coupon offers and the opportunity to benefit from frequent buyer/loyalty programs. Forty-three percent of women said the availability of coupons would influence them to purchase in-store products on their next trip to purchase gas at a c-store. Thirty-five of men said coupons would influence them as well.

Additionally, frequent buyer/loyalty programs appealed to 29 percent of women (compared to 23 percent of men).

Overall, 16 percent of respondents said they were already enrolled in a c-store retailer's frequent shopper program. About 8 percent said they knew about, but were not enrolled in their local c-store's loyalty program. However, 38 percent of respondents said they were not enrolled, but would enroll if their store had a loyalty program. That figure climbed to 42 percent among female respondents.

CSNews' exclusive Realities of the Aisle study also looks at:

• The most popular reasons that consumers shop at a c-store;
• How economic conditions affect spending habits;
• The top products purchased in the store by both men and women;
• Payment type trends; and,
• Reasons why consumers did not go into the store after purchasing gas.

Stayed tuned for the March 19th issue of Convenience Store News for our cover story on women and convenience stores, as well as top-line results from the 2012 Realities of the Aisle study.