Who Are the Winners?
Retailers with better RPI scores and overall rankings are better positioned for the future
The bottom line is that retailers with stronger RPI scores are growing long-term and doing it with a value proposition that customers love. This means that growth is much more likely to be sustainable.
Top Tier retailers are able to weather both longer-term and shorter-term industry context shifts and challenges. While the industry as a whole has seen foot traffic growth contract during the period of August 2024 through July 2025, Top Tier retailers averaged a modest 0.8% foot traffic growth. Going back further and looking at 3 YR CAGR, which includes 2023 when inflation was raging, again, the top tier was the only group to manage growth. Going back to late 2020, which brings in additional context shocks of Covid and supply chain disruption, the Top Tier’s growth gap over the Bottom Tier widens further.
Brand Health Tiers and Their Placer.ai Foottraffic Growth Rates
Top Tier c-store retailers also secure superior trust, attachment (sad if closed), and draw with its customers. Such is the appeal of the customer value propositions of Top Tier c-store retailers, that the traditional name and what is table stakes to be a part of the category – convenience store – is something over half of their customers would forgo to shop there (see attribute: "would go out of my way to visit").
Brand Health Tiers and Emotional Connection with Their Customer (% Agree)
Trust This Retailer
1st Tier Ranks 1 - 13
2nd Tier Ranks 14 - 27
3rd Tier Ranks 28 - 41
Be Sad if Closed
1st Tier Ranks 1 - 13
2nd Tier Ranks 14 - 27
3rd Tier Ranks 28 - 41
Would Go Out of My Way to Visit
1st Tier Ranks 1 - 13
2nd Tier Ranks 14 - 27
3rd Tier Ranks 28 - 41
C-Stores with stronger Quality will outperform those with stronger Convenience/Speed
Convenient location, speed to get in and out are table stakes for convenience store retailers. This is a highly saturated need for c-store shoppers, and they perceive relatively little differentiation between c-store chains on these measures. Quality, as well as other dimensions of the c-store value proposition, are where certain chains separate themselves from the pack and where customers place more importance when deciding where to shop, how much to shop there, and how loyal they’ll be.
Pillar Importance in US Footprint
(% of Market Results Driven by Each Pillar)
Quality Experience, Products
Affordability
Frictionless Transactions
Visibility
Product Variety
Convenience, Speed
Market Results They Drive
Reach in footprint
Transactions Beyond Gas
Growth
Emotional Connection
Which retailers have the best RPI scores and are best positioned for long-term success?
The Top Tier of c-store chains have stronger customer perceptions in those pillars that matter more for driving reach, growth, and emotional connection. Leaders such as Buc-ee’s, Sheetz, Wawa, Casey’s, Kwik Trip exemplify how becoming a meal destination for most of your customers and supporting that meal offering with either a top-quality experience and other c-store products or a frictionless experience (or in some cases both) can differentiate in a highly competitive market.
Chains operated by grocery operators (currently or very recently, in the case of GetGo) also occupy the Top Tier, by extending either their grocery strengths in fresh, prepared foods, savings, loyalty/rewards (or in some cases all three) into their c-store offering.
National and regional banners alike are represented, but a common thread is clear: the winners are investing in foodservice credibility, consistency, and operational efficiency to secure both share of wallet and share of heart. As a result, these retailers are best positioned for long-term success, even as economic pressures and consumer behaviors continue to shift.
