Convenience Store Visits Remain Status Quo

The NPD Group reports that it's business as usual during the second quarter, while total channel sales increased during the same time frame.

August 23, 2012

HOUSTON - Convenience store visits remained stable and total channel sales were up in the second quarter of 2012, compared to same quarter year ago, according to The NPD Group.

NPD??s convenience store research suggests that there were 2.2 billion visits to c-stores during Q2 2012, which was about the same traffic level as in Q2 2011, and aggregate channel sales were up 5.9% quarter-over-quarter.

Visits were up 2% at small and other c-store chains, but were down as much at major oil chain c-stores, according to NPD??s Convenience Store Monitor, which tracks consumer purchasing behavior of more than 51,000 convenience store shoppers in the United States. Traditional c-stores realized a 1% drop in visits and traffic was flat at conventional convenience stores. Morning c-store traffic to c-stores declined by 4.5%, mid-day traffic increased by 5.5% and visits in the afternoon day part grew by 1.9% in the second quarter.

"Stable is a good place for the c-store channel to be right now given the current state of the economy," said David Portalatin, executive director of industry analysis for NPD??s convenience store research. "Although the channel appears to be bucking hints of a double-dip recession, consumers are still evaluating purchases for value and necessity and, as a result, c-store retailers and manufacturers will need to offer and promote value."

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