U.S. convenience-store count continues to grow

The U.S. convenience-store industry has grown for the second consecutive year, with 152,396 c-stores operating in the United States, a 1.5% increase from last year’s count of 150,174 locations, according to the 2024 NACS/NIQ Convenience Industry Store Count.

With the U.S. population at an estimated 336 million according to the U.S. Census Bureau, there is one c-store for every 2,204 people.

In the last decade, six years experienced growth in the convenience retail channel:

2024 – 152,396 ( 1.5%)
2023 – 150,174 ( 1.5%)
2022 – 148,026 (-1.5%)
2021 – 150,274 (-1.6%)
2020 – 152,720 (-0.3%)
2019 – 153,237 (-1.1%)
2018 – 154,958 ( 0.3%)
2017 – 154,535 ( 0.2%)
2016 – 154,195 ( 0.9%)
2015 – 152,794 ( 0.9%)

The bulk of convenience stores comes from what NACS designates as “A-sized” (1-10 stores) operators at 96,156 locations (63.1% of total c-stores), of which 91,799 are single-store operators, up slightly from 90,423 stores in 2023. Second are “E-sized” operators. with more than 500 stores.

State of the States

Nearly every state increased its store count. 

Texas continues to have the most convenience stores (16,304 stores), or more than 1 in 10 stores. After losing 53 stores in 2023, California added 177. Only seven states saw a reduction in store counts: Alaska, Iowa, Idaho, Louisiana, Maine, Oklahoma and Vermont.

Changing Channels

The dollar store and c-store channels grew their retail presence, while other brick-and-mortar channels such as grocery and drug saw declines, according to NACS:

The census shows that 120,061 c-stores sell fuels, a 1.2% increase over 118,678 stores in 2023.

The 2024 NACS/NIQ Convenience Industry Store Count is based on stores in operation as of Dec. 31, 2023.

Founded in 1961 as the National Association of Convenience Stores, Alexandria, Va.-based NACS advances the role of convenience stores as positive economic, social and philanthropic contributors to the communities they serve and is an adviser to retailer and supplier members from more than 50 countries.

This story comes via Supermarket News sister publication CSP Daily News. Read more here.