Leading C-Store Meal Chains Clearly Beat QSR Chains in Variety
But Clearly Lag in Frictionless Transactions
Being able to easily customize the transaction to how you want to transact, or to customize your drink or your meal to your exact specifications, is the second most important pillar for customers who use c-stores as meal destinations.
It also may be the biggest thing holding c-stores back.
Things that make placing meal orders easier, like order customization, combo meals to guide decision making and find savings, ability to order using whatever channel a customer likes, are all clear advantages for QSRs.
C-Stores, however, can clearly own variety, hours and customization of drinks, specifically. Customers of c-stores can pair what is on the store’s meal menu with snacks from the center store and beverages from the cold case or from dispensers. Leaning into this combination, so customers can choose their own adventure for a meal, is critical.
But choosing their own adventure has to be made easy and frictionless. Paired with variety advantages, C-Stores can do a better job of preventing customers from leaving their store and visiting a QSR right after.
When including the 51 largest QSRs in the U.S. in a comparison alongside the convenience store chains who convert at least 50% of their customers to meal purchasers, we can clearly see specific advantages of C-Stores over QSRs come to life.
There are only 9 C-Stores in this 50% club, and most of them shoulder out many of the 51 largest C-Stores to occupy the top 15 spots in measures of food, meal occasion and drink variety. Buc-ee’s is number 1 in the country, beating all QSRs and C-Stores on these measures.
Meanwhile, Buc-ee’s is the only C-store to pair that variety with nearly equally great tasting food, coming in 14th overall in Food Taste. Big QSR industry names In-N-Out, Chick-fil-A and Raising Cane’s are the three tastiest quick meal destinations in the U.S. On meal prices, C-Stores are a little more competitive, but Little Caeser’s takes the top spot here.
The two rightmost attributes on this chart fall in the Frictionless Transactions pillar, which we see is a key disadvantage for C-Stores to QSRs. Only Sheetz manages the top 15 in one of these, with most of the other C-Stores near the bottom of these rankings.
Other Elements of Frictionless Transactions
RPI Tiers and Other Methods of Deepening the Customer Experience
% Made a Transaction by Ordering Ahead
1st Tier (Ranks 1-13)
2nd Tier (Ranks 14-27)
3rd Tier (Ranks 28-41)
% Have their App
1st Tier (Ranks 1-13)
2nd Tier (Ranks 14-27)
3rd Tier (Ranks 28-41)
% Loyalty Member
1st Tier (Ranks 1-13)
2nd Tier (Ranks 14-27)
3rd Tier (Ranks 28-41)
Retailers in the Top tier in general are winning by reshaping the experience around ease and loyalty by having more touchpoints with the customer. These represent win-wins: wins for the customer experience and a data windfall for retailers, which they can continue to use to improve the customer experience.
Their customers are more likely to order ahead, use curbside pickup, and engage through the retailer’s app. They’re also active members of loyalty programs, reinforcing both frequency and emotional connection.