Where are the national traditional Convenience Store players?
The largest national, traditional c-store chains largely occupy the Bottom Tier. The average c-store chain in the Bottom Tier captures 3.8% of total U.S. c-store channel market share (by foot traffic), compared to an average of only 0.8% for the Top Tier, which is composed mostly of regional, corporate-run banners.
The historical scale of the Bottom Tier gives them a greater share, yet their inability to deliver on the drivers that matter most to consumers is eroding both year-over-year momentum, long-term growth, and leading to weaker customer loyalty.
This moment creates a real opportunity, a chance to reexamine their positioning and rebuild equity around the experiences and attributes that truly resonate with shoppers.
RPI Ranking Tiers and Their Avg. U.S. Foot Traffic Market Share
1st Tier | Ranks 1-13
2nd Tier | Ranks 14 - 27
3rd Tier | Ranks 28 - 41
Centralized Operating Models Outperforming Decentralized, but Decentralization Leads to Better Customer Experiences at the High End
11 of the 13 Bottom Tier c-store chains are either operated by a franchise model or an independent licensing model. By contrast, 12 of the 13 c-store chains in the Top Tier are run by a central, corporate office, without franchising their operations or licensing their brands to independent operators. There is a clear correlation between RPI Score and the type of model. Corporate-run C-Stores have RPI Scores that are ~50% higher than their counterparts.
One big reason why is the consistency of execution. Their customer experiences between locations and customers tend to vary less, especially for those in the middle 50% of customer experiences. This means that most of their store locations are providing a very similar experience, in line with corporate standards.
Additionally, the bottom end of customer experiences for franchised or independently run chains tends to be much worse than the bottom end of customer experiences for corporate-run stores.
This lack of consistency, especially for those independents and franchisees who are struggling to execute, damages the overall brand health and results of those operating by this model.
However, this decentralized execution has a silver lining at the top end. The top 5% of customer experiences at franchise locations are just as good as the top 5% of customer experiences at corporate-run chains. For those customers who find the gems among independents, their experiences are even better. A lesson for those who franchise and for those who license their brand to independents – keep a pulse on execution and customer experience execution at all of your locations. Applying those best practices across all of your business partners may be one of the best ways to improve your brand health.
The Problem with the Bottom Tier
A Breakup Letter to a Bottom Tier Retailer
written by dh’s RPI AI Agent, Using Customer Verbatims from the RPI Survey
We didn’t just collect closed-ended ratings of each chain’s customer value proposition. We also asked customers, at the end of our survey, a simple open-ended question, asking for their final reactions, likes, and dislikes to the chains they’ve been rating.
We enlisted the help of dunnhumby’s RPI AI Agent to turn this large unstructured data set of open-ended, sometimes lengthy and rambling responses, into a break-up letter a customer of these Bottom Tier chains might write to them, to capture the emotions customers feel about these retailers.
Most of the chains’ letters sounded similar. Common themes were: stagnant value propositions, neglect of the basics of store cleanliness, and inconsistent experiences from location to location.
From an emotional standpoint, customers viewed these execution deficiencies as a signal that the chain just didn’t care that much about them. As a result, the customers have stopped caring about the chains.
“Dear Retailer,
We’ve had a long history together. You’ve been there when I needed a quick snack, a late-night drink, or a fast fill-up. But lately, I’ve found myself questioning why I keep coming back. The truth is, the relationship feels one-sided—and I think it’s time we talk.
Your convenience used to be your strongest asset. But now, too many of your stores feel neglected. I’ve walked into locations with dirty floors, cluttered aisles, and bathrooms I wouldn’t dare use. It’s not just about appearances—it’s about feeling respected as a customer. And when I’m met with unfriendly staff or ignored at the counter, it’s hard to feel like I matter.
I’ve tried to overlook the inconsistencies, hoping things would improve. But the lack of uniformity across your stores is frustrating. One location might be clean and well-stocked, while another feels like a completely different company. I never know what kind of experience I’m going to get—and that unpredictability wears me down.
I still love your drinks, and I appreciate the rewards program. But those positives aren’t enough to outweigh the growing list of disappointments. I need more than nostalgia and convenience. I need consistency, cleanliness, and a sense that you care about the people who walk through your doors.
This isn’t easy. I’ve been loyal for years. But I’ve realized that loyalty shouldn’t mean settling. I hope you take this to heart—not out of bitterness, but because I believe you can do better. Maybe one day I’ll come back. But for now, I need to move on.
Sincerely,
A Former Customer
As mentioned, though, there are heroes among the franchisees and licensees.
If we recast the C-Store RPI ranking to be just a ranking of which chains have the best customer experiences at the high performing end of their locations, retailers who don’t make the top tier show their potential.
Sinclair Oil, Texaco, Exxon, Mobile, Holiday Station, 7-Eleven… all have customer experiences that, at their best, rival even the best customer experiences a Sheetz or a Wawa has to offer.
This is a sign that industry leading passion and expertise perhaps isn’t in the hallowed corporate offices of Buc-ee’s, Wawa or Sheetz. Rather, the best operators in the industry are somewhere out there, among the thousands of individual owner/franchisor operators, pouring everything they have into their locations.
However, given how large these chains are, finding those best-in-class examples will be a difficult search, absent the right datasets for identifying them.