WHAT IS A CONVENIENCE STORE?
The following information is taken from the NACS research report Convenience Store Industry Marketing Strategies and Store Formats prepared by Gene Gerke of Gerke & Associates, Inc. It describes the characteristics of the different types of convenience stores represented by the data in this report.)
In the not too distant past, every convenience store looked about the same -- 2,400 square feet of packaged consumer items. Today, companies in the industry are approaching markets with different types of stores and different product offerings. There are mini-convenience stores under canopies, conventional size stores with expanded foodservice, and even hyper-convenience stores with the extensive variety of product offerings and in-store seating for foodservice. The fastest growing segments of the convenience store market are considered by many to be "nontraditional" stores. That is, store formats other than 2,400 square feet, either larger or smaller.
The changes in store formats have implications for all elements of the industry. Retailing executives are concerned with competitive impact and their marketing strategies and niches. Product suppliers want to be aware of format variations as they dictate requirements for appropriate product packaging, promotion and distribution for the stores. Equipment and systems vendors want to design their equipment and systems to fit the various types of store formats. Investors and financial analysts want to understand the economics of the changes taking place and the likely impact on the convenience store industry. Finally, the various governmental agencies--local, state and federal--need to understand the various store formats.