ALEXANDRIA, VA – NACS has released the NACS State of the Industry Report of 2012 Data, the industry’s premier benchmarking tool and most comprehensive collection of industry and firm-level category data and trends based on the convenience and fuel retailing industry’s 2012 performance.

Widely accepted as the best benchmarking tool in the convenience and fuel retailing business, the annual NACS State of the Industry (SOI) Report is based on data submitted by actual retail companies participating in the NACS SOI Survey. Published since 1972, the report provides data in the critical categories of finance, store operations, merchandising and fuel sales. The data are also analyzed and presented in a comparative performance quartile format based on store operating profit, which allows retailers to benchmark and improve their own operations by understanding the drivers of key performance metrics. 

The 180-page report also examines economic conditions and their potential impact on the industry. Charts and tables focus on every area of the industry’s 2012 performance, including financial performance, store operations, merchandising, foodservice, motor fuels sales and quartile analysis.

According to the report, the convenience store industry had record sales of $700.3 billion in 2012, with in-store sales increasing 2.2% to reach a record $199.3 billion and motor fuels sales increasing 2.9% to a record $501.0 billion. Convenience store pretax profits reached a record $7.2 billion in 2012, but taken as a percent of total sales, profits only moved from 1.027% to 1.028% of total sales.

In-store sales growth was driven by double-digit sales gains in several subcategories: alternative snacks, which include meat snacks and health, energy and protein bars (12.2%), liquor, a relatively small subcategory (11.6%), cold dispensed beverages (11.3%) and sweet snacks (10.3%).

The industry’s bifurcation also continues, with a considerable difference between top quartile and bottom quartile performers. Top quartile performers had hot dispensed profits that were 4.4 times greater than those of the bottom quartile, prepared food profits 2.4 times greater than the bottom quartile, cold dispensed profits 2.3 times greater than the bottom quartile and packaged beverage sales that were 2.3 times greater than the bottom quartile.

Complimentary copies of this year’s report will be shipped to the companies that participated in the annual survey. 

“We are extremely grateful to those who submitted data for this year’s survey. Not only does the NACS State of the Industry Report serve as the industry’s premier benchmarking tool, the data complied serves as an indefensible communications tool in quantifying our priority issues, both on Capitol Hill and with the national media,” said NACS Director of Research and Statistics Bob Swanson. 

Purchasers of the NACS State of the Industry Report of 2012 Data report will also receive a link to the NACS Convenience Store Industry Fact Book. The 26th edition of the Fact Book provides a detailed statistical account of industry data over the past several years — or in some cases, decades — as well as a historical recap of the industry and key definitions and events that have shaped it. The Fact Book will be available in July.

The NACS State of the Industry Report of 2012 Data and the Convenience Store Industry Fact Book are available to NACS member companies (order number 40022062) for $249 ($749 regular price). Additional copies of the State of the Industry Report of 2012 Data (order number 40022063) are available for $40. The Report/Fact Book package also is available as an electronic PDF edition (order number 40022064) to NACS members for $599 ($1,199 regular price). Orders can be placed online at nacsonline.com/shop or by calling NACS Customer Service at (800) 966-6227.