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What are the most common occasions (times of day and motivations) for visiting a convenience store? And which most often correlate with cigarette sales?
Hello there! Thank you for your question on the most common occasions (times of day and motivations) for visiting a convenience store and which most often correlate with cigarette sales. The short answer is that convenience stores are most frequently visited between 5am and 9am and 4pm and 8pm and Gas the number one reason for visiting. Below you will find a deep dive of my research findings along with how I came to this conclusion. I hope that this helps you!
METHODOLOGY
In my research, I first located the top reasons as well as customer demographics of the convenience store customer. Next, I located times of highest levels of foot traffic. Last, I examined co-relations between cigarette purchases and other convenience store merchandise. My results are as follows:
REASONS FOR VISITING
According to the National Association for Convenience and Fuel Retailing there are over 150,000 convenience stores located in the United States, with sales exceeding over $680 billion a year. Over 75% of revenue comes from fuel purchases. 49.1% of women reported to stop at convenience stores while they were out running errands and 49.5% of men reported to stop on their commute to or from work. 20.9% of both men and women reported making specific trips to the convenience store to get a specific item. The Standard Examiner reports that convenience stores are visited an average of 1,100 times a day, with the top in-store purchases being cigarettes and gas being the overall top item. The Standard Examiner also reported top sales to include: fountain drinks, coffee, energy drinks and fresh-food items. Consumers also frequently stop to use convenience store ATMs.
TIMES OF VISITS/ CUSTOMER DEMOGRAPHICS
According to NPD, a market research company, blue collar occupations in the age group of 35-54 visited convenience stores most frequently (over 9 times a month). The highest incidence of visits were between the hours of 5am and 9am and 4pm and 8pm, with the highest cigarette purchases (in this group) between the hours of 4pm and 8pm. Purchases included coffee, carbonated drinks and newspapers on their commutes to work and cigarettes, alcoholic beverages and lottery tickets on their way home. The most common trend of this demographic group was sweet snacks in the morning and cigarettes in the evening. Shift workers, police, travelers, hospital workers, EMT personnel and taxi drivers were the most frequent overnight visitors to convenience stores.
CO-RELATIONS
The most common reason that consumers visit convenience store is to fill up on gas. 64% of consumers list gas price as the number one factor in deciding what convenience store that will visit. 41% of all consumers went into a convenience store after pumping gas with most of them making a purchase or cigarettes, a beverage or snack. The average convenience store in the United States performs 1,446 transactions a day, with 341 of at the pump and 1,105 inside. the store. 35.9% of in store customers purchased cigarettes, 20.8% bought some type of prepared hot or cold food, 15.1% bought a non-alcoholic beverage, 10.7% bought a snack food item and 7.2% bought beer. Nick Modi, RBC Capital Market Tobacco Analyst suggested that "more favorable gas prices (since 2014) is playing a major role in more positive cigarette sales."
Convenience stores are most frequently visited between 5am and 9am and 4pm and 8pm, with gas purchases being most common. Studies have suggested a positive co-relation between gas and cigarette purchases. Consumers tend to purchase a carbonated beverage or snack with their cigarettes. Thank you for using Wonder and I hope that this helps you. If you have any further questions please feel free to ask Wonder again!