Convenience stores tend to live up to their name. There’s a pot of hot coffee ready to be grabbed during the morning rush, when you’ve only got five minutes to run in and out but you know you’ll be too tired without caffeine. There’s an array of sodas, sports drinks and energy drinks to choose from when you need an afternoon pick-me-up. Somehow, no matter what time it is, convenience stores are truly that: convenient.
During the past couple of years, the grab-and-go style of convenience stores has changed a bit, with people working hybrid schedules or working remotely. According to Jeff Lenard, vice president of strategic industry initiatives for the National Association of Convenience Stores (NACS), Alexandria, Va., convenience stores conduct nearly 160 million transactions every day. In other words, convenience stores serve about half the population of the United States each day.