NEW YORK CITY – Convenience stores offer convenience, basic necessities and food options, but what some people don’t realize is that c-stores also have good deals, SavingAdvice.com reports.

For example, the news source says that fountain drinks are usually a more economical a purchase than a bottled beverage, and many locations offer consumers the option of paying a lower cost for refills. Many c-stores also have their own loyalty program that rewards customers with incentives such as free beverages, food, candy or other merchandise. Sometimes, the loyalty card will be tied to cents-off at the pump too.

More convenience stores are beginning to accept manufacture coupons for a variety of goods. Occasionally, stores will have their own branded coupons, especially for store-brand items. Private-label products have been more popular at c-stores as well, and those items are generally less expensive than their name-brand counterparts.

Convenience stores, like other retailers, mark down seasonal and other items they need to move off the floor. And they even serve and stock healthy food and beverage items. As Henry Armour, president and CEO of NACS, and Larry Soler, president and CEO of the Partnership for a Healthier America (PHA), recently put it in an opinion piece, “Stores don’t need to look to eliminate less healthy choices, but rather continue to increase the healthier options to meet shifting demands.”