While cold beverages, clean bathrooms and freshly prepared food are critical to driving visits to Wally’s, the growing convenience store concept in the Midwest, it’s the “unexpected delights” that make the visits memorable. Those finds include a wide array of clothing and accessories emblazoned with the Wally’s logo, which have established themselves as among the top-performing items chainwide. “At Wally’s, our intention is to turn the traditional c-store on its head,” said Andy Strom, chief experience officer. “Our merchandise sets us apart.”

Wally’s is among a growing crop of c-stores that has found a receptive audience for exclusive wearables and other branded merchandise. In addition to building store traffic, the items serve as high-ticket impulse buys and grassroots marketing tools, with the marketing often spread through social media. Clothing such as t-shirts, trucker hats and beanies, along with stickers, koozies, drinkware, coolers and a host of other merchandise, account for about one-third of the retail space at Wally’s two stores, Strom noted. The items are “value priced” at $5 to $25, designed in-house and sourced both domestically and from overseas.

Built around the theme of the Great American Road Trip, Wally’s stores feature massive displays, like the Camp Wallyhaha Winnebago, that allow for easy merchandising of the items. But the branded merchandise can also be found throughout the stores, whether it’s in the kids’ department or housewares or next to the restrooms. “We want our traveling customers to take a proper break and walk around the store,” Strom explained of the strategy. “The merchandise helps them remember their road trip.”

Kum & Go has offered branded wearables in its stores for some time, and according to Jake Cavanaugh, category manager, customer response has been “extremely positive.” Top-selling items at the chain include hats, shirts and can coolers, with many customers picking up extra items for friends and family. The merchandise “has helped us grow our brand and engage with customers in a different way from traditional marketing,” Cavanaugh said, and “has allowed us to gain name recognition in markets we don’t operate in or haven’t expanded to yet,” thanks to purchases by travelers.

New York-based Stewart’s Shops also offers branded merchandise in its stores, such as cell phone grips marketed right at the cash register. During the holidays, the chain promotes its popular tree ornament and winter hats in store. “The benefits of offering branded merchandise in our shops are that it is quick, easy and convenient to purchase for our customers, while sparking interest for future merchandise,” said Kate Nelson, public relations specialist at Stewart’s.

Online Opportunities

Online sales of c-store wearables and other branded merchandise has particularly taken off in recent years. With c-stores tight on space, a digital storefront provides the opportunity to reach loyal customers without stealing real estate from other product categories. Stewart’s launched its online shop a year ago. According to Nelson, “the benefits are immeasurable,” with sales already recorded in all 50 states. “A lot of our customers have moved away from the upstate New York/southern Vermont area, so they’ve been especially excited to have a little piece of home sent to them.” Top-selling items on the site (www.stewartsshops.com) include a hooded sweatshirt and a t-shirt with the Stewart’s logo and two Adirondack chairs in front of a fire, Nelson reported. New items are added every month.

“The merchandise helps them remember their road trip.”

Kwik Trip also recently began offering wearable merchandise online, with all items priced below $50. According to Chris Calloway, digital marketing specialist at the Wisconsin-based chain, “The idea emerged during the Covid pandemic, as we discussed new ways to be creative and reach consumers.” For the 2020 holidays, the site (www.kwiktripmerch.com) started small with branded boxers and underwear. “We received an awesome response and decided there was a market to do even more,” he recalled. While traffic for the items is strongest during the holidays, Calloway said, “We make sure to have 365-day-a-year merchandise.” In recent summers, banana-themed camp shirts and flip-flops have been popular, a nod to the fruit that has emerged as a popular item at the chain. Overall, Kwik Trip’s crewneck sweatshirt is the site’s top-selling item, Calloway said.

Kum & Go began selling exclusive merchandise online (www.merchandise.kumandgo.com) a few years ago. “Offering online exclusives allows us to move more quickly and gives us the chance to offer more specialized designs and styles,” explained Matt Riezman, director of brand marketing at the chain. Customer response to the items has been very positive, he said, “and fans continue to ask for more.” The chain’s Kum & Gay Rights designs, first launched in 2021, “created a ton of buzz for our online merchandise sales,” the executive continued, and a second production run was added last year to meet the ongoing requests for the t-shirts.

‘Smashing Success’

C-store giant 7-Eleven launched its online merchandise shop (www.7collection.com) last year, and according to Marissa Eddings, a senior director for the retailer, “Consumer response has been a smashing success.” The ecommerce site launch followed “heightened demand for 7-Eleven branded merch from our followers on social media over the past few years,” explained Eddings, noting that some stores carry limited items from the collection. New merchandise tied to the chain’s 96th birthday was unveiled on the website in July, and some of those items, including baby onesies, and kid and adult t-shirts, have emerged as top sellers, she reported. Other items include hats, bags and dog bandanas. 7Collection merchandise is currently available for purchase across the United States, and the company hopes to soon expand sales internationally, Eddings said.

Other leading c-stores that offer branded wearables and merchandise online include Wawa, QuikTrip, Yesway and Sheetz. Pennsylvania-based Wawa (www.store.wawa.com) offers clothing such as t-shirts, sweatshirts and hats, while other branded merchandise includes drinkware, beach towels and even gift baskets priced up to $100. QuikTrip’s site (www.quiktripshop.com), meanwhile, features branded items like hats, t-shirts, onesies and Yeti drinkware.

Even Wally’s—with stores in Pontiac, Illinois, and Fenton, Missouri, and a planned location near Indianapolis—now markets its merchandise online (www.shopwallys.com). The chain launched the site, which offers some of the popular items available in store, this summer. According to Strom, “our plan is to have a large retail catalogue online, with new products introduced regularly to keep it fresh.”

Holiday Rush

Not surprisingly, branded merchandise sales ramp up during the holidays, both in the store and online. “The holidays are a time when customers look for easy, unique gifts,” remarked Nelson. As a result, Stewart’s Shops expands its selection during the gift-giving season, adding cold-weather items like beanies and pom-pom hats. Kwik Trip’s Calloway noted that the chain’s annual “ugly Christmas sweater,” first introduced in 2021, is so popular that fans often post photos and videos of themselves adorned in the festive garment online. “We promote it as an ugly sweater, but it’s really nice,” he said of the all-knit sweater. A third edition of the Kwik Trip ugly Christmas sweater is planned for this year, along with a scarf and some holiday collectibles.

Sales of branded merchandise ramp up during the holidays, both in the store and online.

“The 7Collection holiday merch drop was a hit last year,” reported Eddings, adding that new holiday-themed items are planned for later this year, including sweaters and shirts. At Stewart’s and Wally’s, meanwhile, holiday ornaments will return this year, while Kum & Go is considering adding more seasonal items, such as holiday sweaters, to its in-store sets, Cavanaugh noted.

C-stores promote their branded wearables not only during the holidays but year-round, with social media serving as the primary marketing channel. “A social presence is so important in spreading the word about our merchandise,” Strom said.

At Kum & Go, cross-merchandising in-store is an efficient tool for spreading awareness of its branded items. Cavanaugh pointed to tactics like merchandising can coolers in the beer cave and reusable water bottles with bottled water.

Spreading the Word

Beyond social media buzz, branded wearables and other items aid retailers in delivering their overall marketing messages. “As a new brand, we want to create a memorable experience for our guests,” said Strom. “The branded merchandise helps spread the word about Wally’s.” But even for established retailers, the offerings help reinforce a concept’s branding and attract new customers. “Name recognition and branding control are some of the biggest benefits,” Cavanaugh said. “Our items attract customers who might not have stopped in our stores otherwise. Once they’re inside, they then experience our great offerings and amenities.”

Eddings remarked that the 7Collection has already surpassed expectations. “7Collection started as a branded merchandise shop but has quickly become a channel to help further support our marketing programming,” she explained. “It serves as an outlet for in-store promotions and campaigns, allowing customers to engage with the brand in a more tangible way.” The site also gives the chain the opportunity to test ideas or designs with followers via social media, she added. “7Collection provides us with the flexibility to test and learn, enabling us to identify untapped opportunities.”

“7Collection started as a branded merchandise shop but has quickly become a channel to help further support our marketing programming.”

As with any new endeavor, the expansion into branded clothing items by c-stores has brought its share of challenges. “Running an online shop is still new to us, and we learn something beneficial every day,” Nelson said. She and others noted that supply chain issues, while improved versus a year or two ago, can still affect the sale of branded merchandise. “Supply chain impacts can cause challenges, especially with a lot of wearable manufacturers located overseas,” explained Cavanaugh. “We’ve worked to bring production stateside but still sometimes experience challenges securing materials. Finding the right mix of items is always something we work to perfect, but our customers are always changing, and we work to keep up with their desires.”

Despite the challenges, leading c-stores are moving full steam ahead into wearables and other branded merchandise. Eddings mentioned a new golf collection on the 7Collection platform and Calloway said Kwik Trip sees opportunity in “lower-quantity, higher-priced merchandise,” while also not ruling out the introduction of some branded items in stores “down the road.” At Kum & Go, branded merchandise will be a “strong component of our plan moving forward,” noted Cavanaugh. “We believe that branded merchandise gives us the opportunity to connect with our customers and showcase interesting items that will leave a lasting impression.”