In 2023, U.S. convenience stores pulled in $837.4 billion in total sales, a 2.8% jump from 2022, even as gasoline still dominates the mix at 92% of fuel volume sold. With 3,200 customer visits per store each day and an average basket of $6.23 across fuel and inside purchases, the real tension is how much of that traffic turns into foodservice, snacks, and beverage sales.
Key Takeaways
- Average customer visits per store 3,200 daily in 2023
- 70% of c-store customers are repeat weekly visitors in 2023
- Foodservice purchases made by 42% of c-store customers daily in 2023
- Gasoline volume sold at c-stores was 77.2 billion gallons in 2023
- Average fuel price was $3.52 per gallon at c-stores in 2023
- Fuel sales revenue totaled $435.2 billion, up 1.4% in 2023
- Total c-store employees numbered 1.95 million in 2023
- Average wage per employee $16.45 per hour in 2023
- 65% of stores operate 24 hours daily in 2023
- Beverages category grew 4.3% to $55.8 billion in 2023
- Cigarettes remained the top category at $60.1 billion despite 8.2% decline in 2023
- Snacks category sales increased 6.2% to $37.4 billion in 2023
- U.S. convenience stores generated $837.4 billion in total in-store and fuel sales in 2023
- The convenience store industry saw a 2.8% increase in total sales from 2022 to 2023 reaching $837.4 billion
- Fuel sales accounted for 52% of total convenience store revenue in 2023 at $435.2 billion
In 2023, convenience stores saw rising fuel and inside sales driven by frequent repeat visits and stronger snack and beverage demand.
Related reading
01 · Category
Consumer And Traffic24 stats
01
Average customer visits per store 3,200 daily in 2023
02
70% of c-store customers are repeat weekly visitors in 2023
03
Foodservice purchases made by 42% of c-store customers daily in 2023
04
Average basket size $6.23for combined fuel and inside in 2023
05
62% of customers buy beverages on every visit in 2023
06
Millennial/Gen Z represent 48% of c-store shoppers in 2023
07
55% of traffic during peak morning hours 6-9 AM in 2023
08
Female customers 51% of total c-store traffic in 2023
09
Mobile app usage for payments 28% of transactions in 2023
10
Loyalty program members 65% of customers in 2023
11
Average dwell time inside store 4.2 minutes in 2023
12
38% of customers buy snacks on impulse in 2023
13
Weekend traffic 25% higher than weekdays in 2023
14
72% of fuel buyers also purchase inside items in 2023
15
Contactless payments 47% of inside transactions in 2023
16
Hispanic consumers 22% of c-store traffic in 2023
17
Average age of c-store customer 41 years in 2023
18
29% growth in female foodservice buyers since 2020 in 2023
19
Prime drive times account for 60% of daily traffic in 2023
20
81% of customers value speed of service in 2023 survey
21
Inside-only purchases 35% of transactions in 2023
22
Urban c-stores see 15% higher traffic than rural in 2023
23
67% of customers use c-stores for quick meals in 2023
24
Transaction growth 3.2% to 162 billion in 2023
Interpretation
Consumer And Traffic Interpretation
From a Consumer And Traffic standpoint, c-store traffic is driven by loyal repeat shoppers with 3,200 daily customer visits per store in 2023 and 70% of customers returning weekly, while 42% make daily foodservice purchases and 62% buy beverages on every visit.
02 · Category
Fuel And Gas Sales26 stats
01
Gasoline volume sold at c-stores was 77.2 billion gallons in 2023
02
Average fuel price was $3.52per gallon at c-stores in 2023
03
Fuel sales revenue totaled $435.2 billion, up 1.4% in 2023
04
Gasoline represented 92% of fuel volume sold in 2023
05
Diesel sales volume 6.1 billion gallons at c-stores in 2023
06
Average gross profit per gallon on gasoline was 19.8 cents in 2023
07
78.3% of c-stores offered diesel in 2023
08
Ethanol-blended gasoline was 94.2% of all gasoline sold in 2023
09
E85 sales volume 165 million gallons in 2023 at c-stores
10
EV charging stations at 12,403 c-store locations in 2023
11
82% of c-stores with fuel had 8 or more fueling positions in 2023
12
Average fuel sales per store $2.86 million in 2023
13
Premium gasoline share of sales 22.4% in 2023
14
Midgrade gasoline 14.7% of volume in 2023
15
Regular gasoline 62.9% of sales volume in 2023
16
Fuel transactions averaged 2.1 million per store annually in 2023
17
Pay-at-the-pump used in 85% of fuel transactions in 2023
18
Average gallons per fuel transaction 9.8 in 2023
19
CNG/LNG stations at 1,200 c-store sites in 2023
20
Biodiesel offered at 15% of c-store fuel sites in 2023
21
Fuel profit contribution 28% of total gross profit in 2023
22
Gasoline demand declined 2.1% in volume 2023
23
Diesel margins averaged 25.4 cents per gallon in 2023
24
65% of c-stores offer 24-hour fueling in 2023
25
EV chargers grew 45% to 12,403 sites in 2023
26
Convenience stores captured 58% of U.S. fuel market share in 2023
Interpretation
Fuel And Gas Sales Interpretation
In 2023, convenience store fuel and gas sales totaled $435.2 billion and were driven by 77.2 billion gallons of gasoline at an average of $3.52 per gallon, with gasoline accounting for 92% of volume and delivering 19.8 cents average gross profit per gallon.
03 · Category
Operations And Employment24 stats
01
Total c-store employees numbered 1.95 million in 2023
02
Average wage per employee $16.45per hour in 2023
03
65% of stores operate 24 hours daily in 2023
04
Average store employs 12.8 FTEs in 2023
05
Labor costs 28.4% of total operating expenses in 2023
06
Self-checkout installed in 22% of c-stores in 2023
07
Theft losses averaged $1,200per store monthly in 2023
08
45% of operators reported labor shortages in 2023 survey
09
Average turnover rate 112% annually in 2023
10
POS systems upgraded in 58% of stores since 2020 by 2023
11
Energy costs 8.2% of expenses in 2023
12
76% of c-stores use CCTV surveillance in 2023
13
Food prep equipment in 68% of stores in 2023
14
Average rent/occupancy cost 9.1% of sales in 2023
15
AI inventory management in 15% of chains in 2023
16
92% acceptance of credit/debit cards in 2023
17
Average training hours per employee 24 annually in 2023
18
Renewable energy used by 12% of c-stores in 2023
19
Drive-thru lanes at 18% of stores in 2023
20
Shrinkage rate 1.8% of sales in 2023
21
55% of operators plan expansion in next 5 years per 2023 survey
22
Delivery services offered by 32% of urban c-stores in 2023
23
Utility costs rose 7.4% year-over-year in 2023
24
41% female workforce in c-stores in 2023
Interpretation
Operations And Employment Interpretation
In 2023, convenience store operations leaned heavily on labor with wages averaging $16.45 per hour and labor costs at 28.4% of operating expenses, even as 65% of stores ran 24 hours and only 22% had self checkout installed.
More related reading
04 · Category
Product Sales (inside)24 stats
01
Beverages category grew 4.3% to $55.8 billion in 2023
02
Cigarettes remained the top category at $60.1 billion despite 8.2% decline in 2023
03
Snacks category sales increased 6.2% to $37.4 billion in 2023
04
Packaged sweets sales reached $20.1 billion, up 5.4% in 2023
05
Salty snacks sales were $17.3 billion, growing 7.1% in 2023
06
Candy sales totaled $12.8 billion with 4.9% growth in 2023
07
Foodservice overall sales hit $65.2 billion, 21.5% of in-store in 2023
08
Prepared foodservice sales grew 9.1% to $32.7 billion in 2023
09
Hot beverages sales were $6.2 billion, up 3.8% in 2023
10
Energy drinks sales reached $10.4 billion, 18.6% of beverages in 2023
11
Carbonated soft drinks sales $15.7 billion, down 1.2% in 2023
12
Sports/energy drinks grew 12.3% to $10.4 billion in 2023
13
Bottled water sales $9.8 billion, up 6.7% in 2023
14
Beer sales totaled $18.9 billion in c-stores in 2023
15
Wine sales grew to $4.2 billion, up 8.1% in 2023
16
Other tobacco products (OTP) sales $14.5 billion, up 4.3% in 2023
17
Alternative nicotine products like vapes reached $3.7 billion in 2023
18
Health/energy bars sales $2.9 billion, growing 11.2% in 2023
19
Fresh food sales increased 7.8% to $8.4 billion in 2023
20
Frozen/refrigerated food sales $11.2 billion, up 5.9% in 2023
21
OTC pharmaceuticals sales $6.7 billion in 2023
22
Personal care products $4.1 billion, up 3.2% in 2023
23
General merchandise $3.5 billion sales in 2023
24
Lottery was 15% of in-store sales at $45.3 billion in 2023
Interpretation
Product Sales (inside) Interpretation
Inside product sales show continued momentum in snacks and sweets with 2023 gains such as salty snacks up 7.1% to $17.3 billion and beverages rising 4.3% to $55.8 billion, even as cigarettes still lead at $60.1 billion after an 8.2% drop.
05 · Category
Revenue And Market Size30 stats
01
U.S. convenience stores generated $837.4 billion in total in-store and fuel sales in 2023
02
The convenience store industry saw a 2.8% increase in total sales from 2022 to 2023 reaching $837.4 billion
03
Fuel sales accounted for 52% of total convenience store revenue in 2023 at $435.2 billion
04
In-store merchandise sales hit a record $302.5 billion in 2023, up 5.7% from 2022
05
Average gross margin for convenience stores was 38.7% on in-store sales in 2023
06
Total number of convenience stores in the U.S. stood at 152,255 in 2023
07
The top 10 convenience store chains accounted for 22.7% of total industry sales in 2023
08
Convenience store foodservice sales reached $65.2 billion in 2023, representing 21.5% of in-store sales
09
Packaged beverages generated $55.8 billion in sales in 2023, the largest in-store category at 18.5%
10
Cigarettes sales declined to $60.1 billion in 2023, down 8.2% from prior year
11
Average annual sales per store reached $5.5 million in 2023
12
Industry profit margins averaged 4.2% in 2023 after expenses
13
Foodservice prepared sales grew 9.1% to $32.7 billion in 2023
14
Total U.S. gas station revenue was $632 billion in 2022
15
Convenience stores with fuel represented 80% of all U.S. c-stores in 2023
16
Average fuel profit margin was 19.8 cents per gallon in 2023
17
In-store sales per customer transaction averaged $3.45in 2023
18
Total industry sales grew at a CAGR of 4.5% from 2018-2023
19
Top 202 chains generated $275 billion in 2023
20
Alternative fuels sales contributed $2.1 billion in 2023
21
Snacks/candy sales hit $37.4 billion, up 6.2% in 2023
22
Average store size was 2,821 square feet in 2023
23
E-commerce penetration in c-stores was under 1% of sales in 2023
24
Lottery sales totaled $45.3 billion across c-stores in 2023
25
Gross profit from fuel was $31.2 billion in 2023
26
In-store sales growth was led by foodservice at 9.1% in 2023
27
Total U.S. gas stations numbered 113,802 in 2023
28
Industry EBITDA margin averaged 6.8% in 2022
29
Prepared food sales per store averaged $214,800in 2023
30
Total sales from top 10 states represented 45% of industry in 2023
Interpretation
Revenue And Market Size Interpretation
In 2023, the U.S. convenience store gas station market totaled $837.4 billion in revenue, growing 2.8% from 2022 and showing that fuel drove 52% of sales at $435.2 billion while in-store merchandise reached a record $302.5 billion.
report visual · Comparison
Convenience store customer engagement snapshot (2023)
Key demand and in-store behavior indicators show strong repeat visitation alongside meaningful foodservice and product attach rates.
Average customer visits per store 3,200 daily in 20233,200
70% of c-store customers are repeat weekly visitors in 202370%
Loyalty program members 65% of customers in 202365%
Foodservice purchases made by 42% of c-store customers daily in 202342%
Average basket size $6.23 for combined fuel and inside in 2023$6.23
Reference
Cite This Report
This report is designed to be cited. We maintain stable URLs and versioned verification dates. Copy the format appropriate for your publication below.
APA
Rachel Svensson. (2026, February 13). Convenience Store Gas Station Industry Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/convenience-store-gas-station-industry-statistics
MLA
Rachel Svensson. "Convenience Store Gas Station Industry Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/convenience-store-gas-station-industry-statistics.
Chicago
Rachel Svensson. 2026. "Convenience Store Gas Station Industry Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/convenience-store-gas-station-industry-statistics.
Sources & references
7 datasets cited across this report · attribution is report-level