QuikTrip, Wawa and Sheetz top US c-stores

A focus on Fresh and Ready-to-Eat is the biggest differentiator.

QuikTrip, Wawa and Sheetz are the top retailers in the $654.3 billion U.S. Convenience market, according to the second annual dunnhumby Retailer Preference Index for the Convenience Channel (RPI).

The RPI surveyed nearly 7,000 U.S. households to determine which of the top 27 c-store retailers have the strongest combination of financial performance and consumer emotional connection. The retailers with the highest overall index scores are: 1) QuikTrip, 2) Wawa, 3) Sheetz, 4) Kwik Trip/Kwik Star, 5) RaceTrac, 6) Casey’s General Stores, and 7) Maverik.

“There is a raging battle for the stomach that is being fought not only by grocery retailers, fast food restaurants, and food delivery services, but also now by convenience stores. The convenience retailers winning today and substantially growing are catering to the time-starved consumer by offering not only groceries, but also quality fresh and ready-to eat food,” said Jose Gomes, President of North America for dunnhumby. “Instead of focusing on just winning loyalty or new customer acquisition, retailers need to focus on winning the customer and each customer mission together.”

The RPI study explored the evolving food retail landscape to help retailers navigate an increasingly challenging market. The overall RPI ranking evaluated retailer performance on five pillars: convenient quality, price, fresh and healthy, discounts and rewards, and digital.