Brought to you by Structural Concepts.

Hard-boiled eggs, grapes, hummus, cheese, yogurt and packaged sandwiches and salads are all now standard convenience store fare in 2025, and the demand for better-for-you options is only growing.

Forty-five percent of respondents in NACS’ latest Convenience Voices survey said they would shop at convenience stores more frequently if they were offered higher quality and fresher food. Almost 30% of c-store customers said they planned to buy food elsewhere within 30 minutes of leaving the site—10.3% of them cited their reason as being “there are not enough healthy food options available for me at this location,” and 9.8% reported “the food here is not fresh enough.”

“Fresh food is the draw for c-stores now and it’s a trip driver for many customers,” said Danielle McMiller, vice president of marketing at Structural Concepts, a manufacturer of temperature-controlled display cases. “C-store food selections continue to evolve. As customers seek better-for-you, fresh food options and quality prepared meals, it’s critical that retailers evaluate how they’re merchandising those products.”

Expectations for food are changing, but human nature isn’t. Shoppers looking for healthy grab-and-go food still eat with their eyes, so being strategic about merchandising commissary and fresh food items will lead to more purchases and bigger baskets.

To continue reading “Putting Fresh First,” check out the March 2025 issue of NACS Magazine.