CHICAGO – Customers look for more than convenience when it comes to buying food at a convenience store, according to feedback in a recent Technomic study. “Due to location and speed of service, c-stores are always going to be a dining option,” said Darren Tristano, executive vice president of Technomic. “Recently, however, we’ve seen a concerted effort to improve the quality of food and service provided at these locations. If c-stores can continue enhancing these areas, they can look to drive traffic from restaurants.”

In an online survey of more than 4,000 c-store shoppers, Technomic’s “ Consumer Brand Metrics (CBM): Convenience Store Shopper Insights Report” found that 7-Eleven led all chains measured for foodservice patronage. Two-fifths (39%) of c-store foodservice users have purchased a foodservice item from 7-Eleven in the past two months.

Wawa’s food and beverage earned highest ratings. Wawa’s program received the highest composite scores across 11 food and beverage attributes, such as food quality, foodservice variety and the craveability of its menu items. Quik Trip, Sheetz, Stripes and Kwik Trip also earned high marks from consumers for these attributes.

Food quality and taste are just as important as convenience to these customers. Nine out of 10 c-store foodservice users say the quality and taste of the food are among the important factors when deciding which convenience store to visit. A comparable number assigned similar rankings to pleasant, friendly service and a convenient location.

Convenience stores are driving traffic from restaurants, especially QSRs. A third of consumers (34%) say they would have visited a restaurant if they had not purchased prepared foods from a c-store on their most recent visit; 26% say they would have visited a fast-food restaurant.