Philadelphia, PA - Convenience stores, commonly called bodegas or corner shops, sell basic groceries such as beverages and snacks and offer money order or wire transfer services, photocopying, or fax machines.
Fancy Convenience Stores Are Trendy
Foxtrot in Chicago and DC, Green Zebra Grocery, The Goods Mart, Choice Market, and Barrels & Vines are leading a revolution within the convenience store industry by offering fresher food choices with less sugar, salt, and preservatives.
As millennials become wealthy, their spending habits are rapidly evolving across industries. From food trucks to grocery stores, they demand premium experiences from brands.
C-stores can meet this customer demand through self-service kiosks that allow them to order and pay for food service items with their smartphones or other devices. This instant connectivity between customers, food service staff, and store operations enables faster service while helping C-stores maximize margins and sales.
C-store operators looking to capture this audience are adapting their stores' product assortment and positioning accordingly, emphasizing foods-for-now like deli sandwiches and salads while pushing organic produce and healthier packaged goods as options for future shoppers.
Wawa and Sheetz are already leading this shift toward new convenience trends, while Michigan-based Casey's is responding uniquely. Even smaller independents are finding unique ways to differentiate their locations. It's no longer enough for convenience store chains to offer an optimized assortment locally; they must create an unforgettable customer experience that lives up to their brand promise.
Debates over small retailers leaving the convenience industry will rage on forever, but in reality, brands are changing rapidly. Prominent players purchase smaller operators with solid fuel and convenience assets while creating new concepts to appeal to millennials, Gen Z customers, and other target demographics.
New upscale convenience stores feature organic and better-for-you packaged goods, craft beer and kombucha on tap, restaurant-quality fresh prepared foods such as produce and salads, as well as artisan coffee in renovated buildings with wood inlaid floors, natural lighting, and attractive refrigerated cases - appealing to everyone from Class A drivers and retirees to #vanlife couples looking for gas, snacks, and beverages on the road.
