U.S. Convenience Store Sales Hit New Highs 

Propelled by foodservice, in-store sales grew 8.2% in 2023.

ALEXANDRIA, Va.—Convenience stores saw record sales in stores in 2023, according to newly released data from the National Association of Convenience Stores (NACS).

Total convenience industry sales in 2023 were $859.8 billion, of which $327.6 were from in-store sales. The average basket—what customers spent per visit—increased 3.7% to $7.80.

Overall, total industry foodservice sales—which includes prepared food; commissary; and hot, cold and frozen dispensed beverages—represented 26.9% of in-store sales, up 1.3 percentage points in 2023 from the year prior. 

Convenience stores, which sell an estimated 80% of the fuel purchased in the country, saw total fuels sales decrease in 2023 to $532.2 billion, largely as a result of lower gas prices, which decreased 11.2% to $3.53 in 2023. Fuels sales accounted for 67.3% of revenues, but only 38.6% of profits for the convenience store industry in 2023.

Factoring in both transactions at the pump and inside the store, the average convenience store had 45,312 transactions per month in 2023, or 1,491 per day, which is a 0.4% decrease from the year prior.

Industry metrics are being released this week during the NACS State of the Industry Summit, the industry’s most comprehensive data-focused event. Look for more details on the industry’s numbers in today’s NACS Daily.