There are multiple ways to track operational productivity in convenience stores. Each metric can help reveal aspects from return on square footage to employee productivity—as well as uncover opportunities to increase productivity or identify areas where there’s been decreased return on employee hours.

In the NACS State of the Industry Report® of 2023 Data, operational productivity benchmarks include inside sales per labor hour and labor dollar, total sales per labor hour and labor dollar, and gross profit per labor hour and per labor dollar. These NACS Research-generated metrics are generally used to measure both employee and operational efficiencies to determine an overall return on investment into the business.

Different operational productivity metrics can be leveraged in different ways. For example, inside sales per labor hour (which is calculated by dividing total sales by the number of hours worked), can show whether your business is generating a high ratio of sales from each hour worked. The inside sales per labor hour ratio can be influenced by either reducing labor hours or increasing inside sales—both valid strategies depending on the goals of the operator.

In 2023, the average inside sales per labor hour was $147.31. E-sized (those with 500 stores or more) was the only operator class that saw a higher average, reporting $160.21.

Interested in learning about other operational productivity metrics? Visit www.convenience.org/Research.