Your Margins Are Shrinking, but Your Competition Isn't.
While you're watching prepared foods spoil and labor costs climb, top-performing c-stores are turning 23-25% of revenue into profit centers through smarter operations.
You see the opportunity in prepared foods… you know loyalty could drive more visits… you're trying to balance fuel margins with in-store sales…
Yet shrinkage still eats 1.5-2% of your revenue while competitors capture 40-50% of customers through loyalty.
Every quarter brings the same pressures:
- Labor costs hitting $15-16/hour with turnover draining your training budget
- Prepared food potential untapped despite commanding your highest margins
- Fuel customers who never step inside for higher-margin purchases
- Price-sensitive shoppers choosing the c-store down the street
Meanwhile, leaders like Rutter's are seeing 25% visit increases and 37% loyalty penetration through AI-driven personalization and integrated fuel-to-food strategies.
Your location is prime. Your prepared foods beat QSR quality. So why aren't you capturing your fair share of the $23 billion prepared food opportunity?
The 2026 C-Store Economic Insights Mini Guide reveals the playbook for resilient profitability:
- Why prepared foods now drive 23-25% of total c-store revenue and how to maximize profit
- The loyalty strategies helping Rutter's achieve 25% visit increases and 10% spend lifts
- How to reduce shrinkage from 2% to manageable levels through AI-powered inventory insights
- The fuel-to-food connection that transforms pump-only customers into in-store buyers
- Real COGS formulas and inventory management tactics that protect every penny of profit
→ Get the Guide Now
