What Do Convenience Stores Sell? The Top 3 Products You Must Stock

When you ask yourself “What do convenience stores sell?” which items come to mind? You probably imagine packaged snacks, fountain drinks, cigarettes, or over-the-counter medications. These are items customers expect to find.  

Yet, the most successful c-stores respond to industry trends and market demands by filling their shelves with goods that go beyond the basics. You can leverage stock to be a competitive advantage with the right data. 

This article answers your questions about how to stock c-store shelves and offers valuable insights into how you can leverage trends and data to skyrocket sales. Let’s get started. 

Understanding the Convenience Store Market 

According to the National Association of Convenience Stores, a convenience store provides the public with a range of goods they can quickly purchase. The key difference between a convenience store and other retail businesses is the on-the-go nature of each transaction. The c-store is in a convenient location, making it easy for consumers to refuel, maybe grab a quick bite or beverage, and then leave.  

Speed, convenience, and impulse purchases often drive c-store sales. Factors like the store environment, item prices, special deals, or exclusive rewards may also motivate customers to make purchases. Successful c-stores accommodate customers' busy lifestyles while creating a pleasant shopping experience.   

5 Core Product Types in Top C-Stores 

Most convenience stores carry the same range of core products, including these four categories: 

1. Food and Beverages: Trail mixes, candy bars, or fruit bowls are everyday food items customers purchase often. For beverages, guests expect to find soda, bottled water, coffee, and tea.  
2. Tobacco Products: Customers look to purchase from the leading cigarette brands and other tobacco-related companies at c-stores.  
3. Alcohol: You can find beer, wine, cider, or other types of alcohol at many convenience stores.  
4. Health and Beauty: An increasing number of c-stores opt to stock personal care items, like deodorant and razors.  
5. Lottery Tickets: Most stores sell lottery tickets, but c-stores make purchasing them alongside a quick refuel or snack break easier. 

It’s essential to stock your store with standard items. Yet, it’s also important to track your store’s sales and identify items that sell particularly well for your audience. 

3 High-Demand Products to Sell in Your C-Store 

By stocking your c-store with the most in-demand goods, you’re more likely to experience increased sales and guest satisfaction. These are three categories of high-demand goods in today’s marketplace:

1. Snacks and Quick Meals: Not only do guests want fast meals and snacks, but they also need these food items to sustain them throughout the day. Healthy items like sandwiches or salads make great additions to your shelves.  
2. Convenience Store Drinks: Soft drinks, energy drinks, and alcoholic beverages are all in-demand c-store items. Caffeinated beverages give guests a quick jolt of energy. Meanwhile, guests can make a brief stop for alcoholic drinks before going to a social event. 
3. Emergency and Travel Essentials: Over-the-counter medications, feminine hygiene products, travel-size toiletries, and automotive products are available for traveling customers.  

Customers who find themselves without a bathroom necessity or needing an afternoon caffeine pick-me-up can rely on your c-store when they know you stock these high-demand items. 

Key Insight: Online ordering streamlines guest purchases. Check out our guide for How to Maximize Digital Ordering to Boost Sales and Customer Satisfaction. 

2 Seasonal and Regional Variations in Product Offerings 

A growing number of customers want to purchase locally. Doing so is more sustainable, and guests feel good about supporting a local business. Additionally, seasonal stock gives customers the items they need for any given time of the year. Here are examples from those two categories:

1. Seasonal Products: In the summer, offer cool beverages and ice cream. But when winter arrives, swap these items out with plenty of warm drinks or de-icing salt. 
2. Regional Favorites: A leading trend for the c-store industry is shopping locally. Fill your shelves with goods from nearby vendors or crafts, like magnets or cards, to show your support for local artists.  

Pro Tip: Ideas for local items to sell in your c-store include pastries from a neighboring bakery or coffee from a nearby roaster.   

3 Innovative Product Trends 

Filling your shelves with items that align with customer expectations is the baseline. If you want to stand apart from competitors, sell products based on these three trends:

1. Healthy and Organic Options: Customers want foods that are both fast and healthy, such as organic dried fruit, nuts, and zero-sugar iced tea.  
2. Technology and Gadgets: To support customers’ immediate needs, add basic tech gadgets, like chargers or headphones, to your shelves.  
3. Eco-Friendly Products: Consumers want to shop as sustainably as possible, so add eco-friendly products to your shelves and food counter. Paper towels or food packaging made from recycled materials is one good example.  

You can take advantage of these trends to connect with customers on a more personal level. For example, a customer buying organic items from your store recognizes a shared value: eco-conscious shopping. This strengthens their trust in your brand and increases the chances of them becoming repeat customers.  

Key Insight: Advanced technology is an asset to help your business stay innovative. Online services, mobile apps, and personalized customer relationship management software are examples of ways you can leverage modern technology to take your business to the next level. 

3 Top 1% Strategies for Choosing Products

Now that you know which products you can sell, use these three strategies to choose the right goods for your store and location:

1. Market Research: In-depth local market analysis will uncover opportunities to create high-quality customer experiences, stay ahead of competitors, and build a marketing strategy to attract more guests.  
2. Supplier Relationships: Strong supplier partnerships can lead to a better contract, bulk order discounts, and a backup plan if one of your other suppliers experiences a disruption.  
3. Inventory Management: Customer purchasing data tells you which items customers love, and which stay on the shelves. Use this insight to optimize your inventory purchasing to reduce overordering and overspending.  

Pro Tip: Where you place items in the store matters too. Keep goods that tend to be impulse purchases, like chewing gum or keychains, near the checkout counter. Or you can install displays at the end of shelves to highlight new products. 

Case Study: How Break Time Saw a 25.6% Increase in Customer Spend 

Break Time is an example of a convenience store chain with 74 locations across Missouri and Arkansas. They sell goods from hundreds of leading consumer brands yet needed a way to attract customers and encourage spending. That’s where Paytronix stepped in.  

Paytronix helped Break Time build upon its existing loyalty program with the goal of boosting in store sales. The software automated the entire process, monitoring and rewarding guests for each dollar spent. Based on their spending, customers landed in one of four categories, each with progressively more exclusive rewards.  

Break Time leveraged the natural competitiveness of leading brands stocked in their store to run promotions at no cost to them. This cost-saving strategy and personalized reward program messaging gave the c-store exceptional results.  

Check out the complete case study to see how Break Time created a 25.6% increase in customer spend.  

How to Use This Information for C-Store Success

Stocking c-store shelves is an evolving strategy. Customer preferences change throughout the year, and larger industry shifts, like reward programs or technology trends, alter their expectations. Your challenge is leveraging these preferences and expectations to meet guests where they’re at, creating a memorable experience. 

Whether you operate a new store or one that’s established in your area, here are two tips to keep inventory fresh:

1. For New Stores: It’s best to start with the basics if you’re stocking a new store. Fill shelves with the most high-demand items and some unique local goods. Next, monitor sales over the next several weeks to discover items your customers love.  
2. For Established Stores: Keep your inventory fresh. If a major soda or candy brand launches a new flavor, add it to your shelves to see how your customers respond. Switch your stock to accommodate seasonal needs and connect with local businesses to feature their items in your store. 

Pro Tip: One of the best ways to ensure your store is always stocked with the most in-demand items is to seek customer feedback. It’s a direct line of communication to understand which items or services guests want to see. 

Frequently Asked Questions About C-Store Products 

Keep reading for our answers to the most asked questions about popular products sold at convenience stores.  

What items are sold in convenience stores? 

Convenience stores sell items that on-the-go customers can quickly pick up. Common snacks include chips, dried fruit, and packaged sandwiches. You’ll also likely find fountain drinks, chips, and bottled water. Some convenience stores go beyond the basics to stock bathroom items, local artisan crafts, or breakfast sandwiches. 

What sells most at convenience stores? 

Salty snacks, bottled water, and soft drinks are among the most popular items customers purchase from convenience stores. But they can offer much more!  

What is a convenience store called in the UK? 

In the UK, convenience stores are usually called “corner shops” or “convenience shops.” However, these terms are interchangeable. 

What’s the difference between a convenience store and a supermarket? 

A supermarket or grocery store tends to stock everyday items like produce, dairy products, and toilet paper, but it will also have snacks and soda like a convenience store. Most customers who visit a supermarket intend to purchase a lot of groceries instead of a quick bite, a bottle of their favorite drink, or a travel-size necessity.  

Stocking and Restocking Your Store 

Customers will tell you how to stock your convenience store. Their buying habits, industry wide trends, and customer feedback give you valuable insight into how to serve them. With that said, it’s important to remain adaptable. The more agile your business model stays, the better you align yourself with your guests and continue to surpass competitors.  

To understand your audience and industry demands, you need in-depth analytics. You can make data-driven decisions by leveraging the right tools to automate customer engagement and aggregate valuable data.  

Paytronix is an all-in-one platform for collecting customer insights and using it to inform business decisions. Book a demo with our team today if you’re ready for steady, data-driven c-store growth.