Convenience means delivering a quick and easy experience for 165 million consumers a day—including 40 million consumers who purchase fuel. Whether these consumers buy gas only or also come inside the store for food and refreshments, convenience stores sell time.
In late 2018, NACS released consumer insights on how convenience stores deliver quick shopping experiences in the “Time to Shop” report, including:
- How consumers shop at convenience stores
- What they value to help define how retailers can continue to deliver time and convenience to their customers
- What trends could affect the future definition of convenience
As the definition of convenience evolves and new technologies and payment solutions emerge, consumers will likely continue to rely on their neighborhood c-store to deliver a coveted commodity in today’s retail environment: time.
Explore all these insights and more.
Love's Goes Solar
Love’s Family of Companies recently installed an on-site solar system at the Love’s Travel Stop in Santa Nella, California. The system by Trillium is now energizing and generating electricity for the travel stop, offsetting a large percentage of the location’s electricity consumption.
Trillium designed and built the solar system at the Love’s location, making it the second Love’s location to run off solar power. Love’s first solar system was installed at its Las Vegas location in 2016. The ground-mounted photovoltaic system at Santa Nella will generate more than 300,000 kilowatt hours annually, which is 30 times the average household usage.
IN THE COMMUNITY
Stewart Spinks (left), founder and chairman of The Spinx Company in Greenville, South Carolina, recently presented a check for $174,104 to Kelly Jamerson (right), corporate relations manager for the American Cancer Society. During October 2018, all Spinx convenience stores participated in the campaign and collected donations from customers to support the efforts of the American Cancer Society.
On December 1, 2018, Knoxville, Tennessee-based Weigel’s marked the 21th anniversary of Weigel’s Family Christmas, a special event that brings more than 200 local in-need children, ages five to nine, and 300 volunteers together for a special Christmas shopping spree. Each child received $150 for a Christmas shopping spree at a local Target store.
For Childhood Cancer Awareness Month in September 2018, Stripes employees and customers of the Irving, Texas-based retailer joined with The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center to raise more than $720,000 to support cancer research, education, prevention and hospital programs for children through the Stripes Stores Celebrates Tomorrows campaign.
Savannah, Georgia-based Parker’s recently donated $5,000 to Susan G. Komen Coastal Georgia, helping the nonprofit organization offer breast cancer screenings, support services and ongoing education to area residents. Every year, Parker’s donates a portion of the proceeds from the sale of pink breast cancer refillable cups to Susan G. Komen Coastal Georgia.
Parker’s representatives Karen Kendall and Brittany Rehan (left and center) presented a $5,000 check to Susan G. Komen Coastal Georgia Community Engagement Manager Julie Schwartz (right).
Robert Simmelink, corporate executive chef of Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin-based Alto-Shaam, was one of 12 chefs cooking for a cause at the American Liver Foundation of Southeastern Wisconsin’s Harvest Gathering in Milwaukee in December 2018. The event raised more than $30,000.
In December, Aloha Petroleum donated $6,499.60 to AccesSurf, a nonprofit organization that empowers people with disabilities by providing adaptive surfing and therapeutic educational programs on water recreation as well as enriches lives by helping families access the beach and ocean. The funds were raised through the ongoing canister collection program at statewide participating Aloha Island Mart stores.