96% of all shoppers have left a store empty-handed. Of those, the vast majority left because they couldn’t find the product they wanted.
How often have you witnessed a customer dash into your store, hunt your shelves, and leave frustrated and bare-handed? You’ve not only lost a sale that day, but you may have lost a customer altogether. After all, they’ve just learned they can’t trust your store to stock the items they need. Why would they come back?
But you can avoid this fate. How? Stocking the top-selling items in convenience stores!
This post covers how to identify top sellers in your store. Then we’ll discuss eight common categories of items you should consider stocking on your shelves.
Before we dive into the common product categories and top-selling items in convenience stores industry-wide, let’s establish an important truth: the top sellers in your store will be unique to your customers, your market, and your store.
Knowing which products are your top sellers is crucial for running a successful convenience store. But how can you determine which products are winners for your store and which items to remove from your inventory? Let's dive into some strategies for identifying your convenience store's top-selling items.
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One of the most effective ways to pinpoint your bestsellers is to utilize sales reports. Generate daily, weekly, and monthly reports to see which items and categories perform well and which fail.
Some advantages of regular sales reporting include:
Your point of sale (POS) system is the most valuable tool in your arsenal for identifying top-selling items. Let’s examine a few ways to leverage POS reporting to identify top-selling items and maximize profits in your convenience store.
Now that we've explored some strategies for — and advantages of — identifying the top-selling items in your convenience store, let's take a look at the categories that tend to sell well regardless of location or store.
These tried-and-true product groups are a great starting point to optimize your convenience store inventory and drive more sales.
The first category of products you’ll want to stock in your store is bottled water and soft drinks. These items are popular impulse purchases and are particularly important for convenience stores along interstate highways and other popular “road trip” routes.
Include a variety of popular brands and sizes to give your customers multiple options and ensure they get something they like. Consider offering still and sparkling water options, energy drinks, soft drinks, and sports drinks like Gatorade.
Key product notes:
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Snack bars and candy are quick, convenient snacks that appeal to customers on the go — perfect for your ideal customer profile. To satisfy diverse tastes and dietary preferences, include a range of granola, protein, and cereal bars. You may also want to offer a variety of candy bars, gum, and mints in this same section of your store.
Key product notes:
Convenience stores often have a high demand for tobacco products, such as cigarettes, vapor, and other items. To cater to different preferences, it's important to offer a variety of cigarette brands and sizes. It's also a good idea to provide alternatives to traditional tobacco products, like e-cigarettes, nicotine gum, or flavored vapor products to meet the needs of a wider range of customers.
Depending on the laws and regulations in your state and locality, you may also want to explore stocking high-risk items like CBD products or kratom. If you offer these products, you’ll need a point of sale solution with high-risk payment processing options.
NOTE: The products in this category are highly regulated and age-restricted, so if you choose to stock these, ensure your store has the proper licensing and processes in tools to maintain proper age verification processes.
Key product notes:
Coffee is a popular morning and afternoon pick-me-up for many convenience store customers. If your customer base includes many commuters stopping in on their way to work, you will want to pay special attention to this category.
Consider offering both hot and cold coffee options to accommodate different preferences. You can also adjust your prepared coffee offerings by season, offering more cold or iced coffee options in the summer and expanding your hot coffee selection in the cold seasons. There’s an additional appeal if you offer popular add-ins like flavored creamers or syrups so customers can make their coffee exactly how they want it.
You may also want to stock coffee grounds, single-serve coffee pods, and instant coffee pouches that customers can buy in-store and make at home or in the office.
Key product notes:
Convenience stores often serve as a first stop for customers who need grocery essentials in a pinch. To take advantage of this audience, you can stock staple items like bread, bagels, English muffins, and tortillas to meet a variety of meal and snack needs.
You may also offer products like cereal, meal replacement shakes, ramen noodles, and other instant meals. Additionally, consider carrying single-serve and larger sizes of dairy products, such as milk, to accommodate different customer preferences and needs.
Key product notes:
Convenience stores often serve as lifesavers for travelers or customers with last-minute personal care needs.
Stock essential items like toothpaste, deodorant, and pain relievers to cater to these demands. Travel-sized options are even more convenient, particularly if your store serves many out-of-town travelers.
Don’t forget to include feminine hygiene products, condoms, pregnancy tests, and other necessities customers may want to purchase discretely. Baby care essentials like diapers and wipes are more items that parents and caregivers might need. As an added bonus, not all convenience stores carry these items, so it’s a great way to make your store their go-to stop.
Key product notes:
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Another popular product category for convenience stores is chips and salty snacks. These items are popular impulse buys in individual sizes and popular party favorites in full-sized packages, making them essential for convenience stores in all markets.
Stock classic options like potato chips, tortilla chips, and pretzels, as well as healthier alternatives like veggie chips or popcorn. Consider offering dips and salsa to complement your chip selections and provide customers with a one-stop-shopping experience for their party essentials needs.
Key product notes:
Another product you may want to stock in your convenience store is lottery tickets. Consider state lottery games and scratch-off tickets, offering customers a variety of options and taking advantage of the buzz major jackpots can generate, bringing additional traffic into your store.
NOTE: If you plan to sell lottery tickets in your store, you must comply with all laws and regulations to meet your state’s lottery requirements.
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You can also offer gift cards for popular retailers, restaurants, and online services to cater to customers seeking quick and easy gift options. Consider selling prepaid phone and gaming cards to appeal to customers who prefer pay-as-you-go plans or gaming subscriptions.
Finally, you can sell basic electronic accessories like phone chargers and adapter cables to accommodate customers' on-the-go technology needs.
Key product notes:
The eight product categories covered in this post are all excellent choices for staples to stock in your convenience store. Still, while these categories tend to sell well across the board, remember that every market, area, and individual store is unique. What flies off the shelves in one location might gather dust in another.
So, how can you stock the top-selling items for your specific customer base? The answer lies in having the right data and reports at your fingertips.
Investing in an all-in-one point of sale system lets you easily identify your store's bestsellers and track trends over time. This information empowers you to decide which products to stock, promote, and showcase, helping you boost your sales and keep your most loyal customers coming back.
C-Store POS is an all-in-one point of sale solution built for convenience stores. Our tool offers built-in reporting and analytics features, giving you the insights to optimize your inventory and stay ahead of the competition.
Schedule a demo of C-Store POS today and see how our solution can help you stock top-selling items in your convenience store all year round.