Convenience stores offer speed of service to time-starved consumers who want to get in and out of the store quickly. These shoppers recognize this channel of trade for its convenient locations, extended hours of operation, one-stop shopping, grab-and-go foodservice, variety of merchandise and fast transactions.
The number of convenience stores in the United States decreased 1.0 percent in 2008, from 146,294 stores to 144,875 stores, according to the new NACS/Nielsen TDLinx Official Industry Store Count of U.S. convenience stores as of December 31, 2008.