U.S.

Convenience
Stores Continue Growth
The industry’s core offer of convenience strongly
resonates with time-starved customers.
Convenience stores account for
MORE THAN
ONE THIRD
(34.4%) of the brick-and-mortar retail
The U.S. convenience store count increased to a record
universe tracked by Nielsen in the United
States, according to the 2018 NACS/Nielsen
Single-store operators within the
154,958 STORES
Convenience Industry Store Count. as of December 31, 2017, a 0.3% increase (423 stores)
convenience retail space also
from the year prior. The continued growth in new units
OVERALL, 79.1% INCREASED signals the industry’s sustained focus on meeting
of convenience stores (122,552) sell motor
fuels, a decrease of 1.0% (or 1,255 stores) BY 139 UNITS consumer demand for immediate consumption,
its innovative approach to offering high-quality
from 2016, with the single-store motor (0.14%), up from 97,504 stores at year-end
foodservice options and providing more healthier
fuels segment dropping by 1,025 stores. 2016, to 97,643 stores at year-end 2017.
choices in grab-and-go food, snacks and beverages.

The bottom three states in

TOP STATES FOR CONVENIENCE STORES terms of store count remain:
as of December 31, 2017*

20,000

Alaska (217 stores)

15,000
NUMBER OF STORES

15,813

10,000
11,946

9,891

Wyoming (355 stores)

8,725

5,000
6,687

6,235

5,686

4,962

4,855

4,759

0
Texas California Florida New York Georgia North
Carolina
Ohio Michigan Pennsylvania Illinois Delaware (344 stores)

Source: 2018 NACS/Nielsen Convenience Industry Store Count

| FEBRUARY 2018 CONVENIENCE.ORG

 INDUSTRY STORE COUNT

1987 1997 2007

The industry store count has

INCREASED BY 55%
over the last three decades. 100,200 stores 108,800 stores 146,294 stores

U.S. CONVENIENCE STORE GROWTH (2005-2018)

+0.2% +0.3%
155,000
+0.9%
+1.0%
+1.4%
+0.7%
150,000
+1.2%
NUMBER OF STORES

+0.8% +1.2%
+3.2% -1.0% -0.2%
145,000

+1.8%
140,000
+5.8%

135,000
2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018

U.S. CHANNEL COUNT

Within the brick-and-mortar retail universe tracked by Nielsen in the United States, the convenience store count is significantly higher than other channels of trade.
Except for the dollar store channel, all other major channels have fewer units at year-end 2017 than 2016:

CHANNEL 2016 2017 Unit Change % Change

Drug 43,636 43,169 (467) -1.07%

Supermarket 51,191 51,134 (57) -0.11%

Dollar 28,832 30,332 1,500 5.20%

Source: Nielsen

CONVENIENCE.ORG FEBRUARY 2018 |