According to NIQ, the average c-store sells 335 options when it comes to packaged beverages, 175 candy options, 161 different versions of salty snacks and 76 versions of packaged sweet snacks.

For beer, there is an average of 136 choices and another 22 when it comes to wine.

There is an average of 40 foodservice items prepared onsite, plus 23 commissary items, 12 cold dispensed choices and nine different frozen dispensed choices.

Start to mix and match and you have huge numbers. Suppose a customer walked into the average c-store every day and picked one item from each of these categories: a packaged beverage, candy, salty snack and a packaged sweet snack. The customer would have more than 700 million different combinations to choose from—enough for a visit every day for almost two million years without repeating.

The advantage c-stores have over QSRs is their ability to offer options. Here’s a look at how some numbers combine. Is there an options story your stores can tell to convince customers to choose your foodservice over competition from other channels?

240,000 combinations: if a c-store offers eight roller grill items, 200 packaged beverages and 150 candy options.

120,000 combinations: if a c-store offers six kinds of pizza, 200 packaged beverages and 100 salty snack SKUs.

19,200 combinations: if a store offers eight sandwhiches, 16 fountain flavors and 150 salty snack SKUs.

7,200 combinations: if a c-store offers eight flavors of coffee, 30 kinds of fresh doughnuts and 30 energy drinks.

5,400 combinations: if a c-store offers 30 varieties of energy drinks, 30 meat snack options and six kinds fo fruit. This is an excerpt from the March 2025 NACS Magazine feature “Stop Foodservice Leakage.”