Number of U.S. c-stores increases for first time in 4 years
While the total number of convenience stores is on the up, fuel-focused small sites decreased by 11%.
There are 150,174 convenience stores operating in the United States, a 1.5% increase from the 2022 store count, reversing a four-year decline, according to the 2023 NACS/NielsenIQ Convenience Industry Store Count.
The number of convenience stores that sell motor fuels is 118,678 stores, which is 79% of all convenience stores. Overall, convenience stores sell approximately 80% of the motor fuels purchased in the United States.
Store count increases were recorded in 39 states and Washington, DC, led by Georgia, which increased 271 stores; California’s count shrunk by 53 stores, the most of the 7 states that saw their counts decline. The industry growth was fueled by an increase in single-store operators, which increased 1,087 to 90,423 stores (60.2% of all convenience stores).
Texas continues to have the most convenience stores (116,018 stores), or more than one in 10 stores in the United States. The remainder of the top 10 is the same order from the year prior: Despite a decline in store count, California remains second at 12,000 stores, followed by Florida (9,596), New York (7,917), Georgia (6,719), North Carolina (5,749), Ohio (5,673), Michigan (4,879), Pennsylvania (4,728) and Illinois (4,666). Alaska grew its store count by 9.2% but still has the fewest stores (190) of any state.
In addition, there are “gas station/kiosk” stores that sell fuel but not enough of an in-store product assortment to be considered convenience stores. Overall, there are 13,346 kiosks. The kiosk format continued to decline—down 11.2% the past year and 49.3% over the past six years—as more consumers sought out stores that have robust food and beverage offers.
With the U.S. population at 334.2 million according to the U.S. Census Bureau, there is one convenience store per every 2,225 people.
