June 18, 2025
The Big Traffic Driver In Your Store
Our latest Q2 report, “Driving C-Store Traffic,” underscores a powerful truth: beverages, especially coffee, are the #1 reason consumers visit convenience stores, outperforming even snacks and fuel as traffic drivers. Your store is already a magnet for these customers, drawing them in with the promise of speed and accessibility. However, the real, sustainable growth lies in a paradigm shift—transforming your coffee station from a simple commodity stop into a true beverage destination.
This is not about minor tweaks. It’s about fundamentally understanding who your customer is, what motivates their purchase at different times of the day, and how you can meet their evolving demands for quality, personalization, and choice. While you’re attracting customers, competitors in the QSR and coffee chain space are capturing the premium dollar.
This comprehensive guide will provide a strategic blueprint to close that gap. We will go beyond the basics to explore actionable strategies for mastering made-to-order beverages, dominating the cold coffee market, optimizing for dayparts, and aligning your program with the core motivations of today’s c-store shopper. Let’s build a coffee program that not only drives traffic but also commands loyalty and higher spending.
The Modern C-Store Shopper: Decoding Their Core Motivations
Before implementing new products, it’s critical to understand the “why” behind a customer’s visit. The c-store advantage is built on a unique blend of planned visits and impulse decisions.
The Duality of Coffee Purchases: Routine vs. Impulse
Your coffee program must cater to two distinct mindsets. Our research shows a near-perfect split in motivation:
- 64% of respondents said cravings inspire their coffee purchase, highlighting the power of impulse.
- 62% stated that coffee is part of their daily routine, indicating a loyal, habitual customer base.
- Actionable Strategy for Routine: Cater to the habitual user with a loyalty program (e.g., “buy 6 coffees, get the 7th free”), morning bundle deals, or even a subscription service for daily coffee drinkers. Consistency is key for this group.
- Actionable Strategy for Impulse: Capture the craving-driven purchaser with prominent, high-impact signage for new flavors, limited-time offers (LTOs), and strategic placement of enticing products at the checkout counter.
Why They Choose You Over a QSR: Speed, Proximity, and Value
When asked why they prefer c-stores, customers prioritize efficiency and convenience:
- Proximity: 41%
- Already Visiting (for fuel, etc.): 40%
- Price: 39%
- Speed of Service: 35%
This data reveals your core strength. Any new offering, especially made-to-order, must be implemented without sacrificing this speed. This is where user-friendly automated machines and well-designed, intuitive self-serve bars become essential investments, not just amenities.
Unlocking Made-to-Order Potential: Your Blueprint for Customization
Consumers increasingly crave quality and personalization, a segment where QSRs and coffee chains have historically dominated. Our research reveals that one in four c-store consumers now desires made-to-order beverages, representing significant unmet demand. This isn’t just about offering more options; it’s about elevating the customer experience and capturing the higher spend that comes with it.
The “Build-Your-Own” Bar: Empowering the Customer
A “flavor station” can empower customers to create their perfect drink. Go beyond standard cream and sugar.
- The Core Station: Offer a variety of syrups (vanilla, caramel, hazelnut), alternative milks (almond, oat), and toppings (cinnamon, chocolate shavings).
- The Data Backs It Up: This single move caters directly to the 63% of consumers who say customizable flavors would increase their likelihood of choosing dispensed coffee.
- The Financial Incentive: This isn’t a cost center; it’s a profit driver. 65% of consumers are willing to pay more for this personalization. Consider a small upcharge for premium milks or extra flavor shots.
Seasonal Specials and LTOs: Creating Excitement
Leverage trending flavors or holiday themes to create limited-time, made-to-order specials that drive impulse buys. With cravings inspiring 64% of coffee purchases, LTOs are your tool to harness that spontaneity.
- Fall: Pumpkin Spice Lattes, Maple Cinnamon Cold Brew.
- Winter: Peppermint Mochas, Gingerbread Lattes17.
- Spring/Summer: Lavender Honey Iced Lattes, Coconut Cream Cold Brew.
The Wellness Opportunity: Functional and Flavorful
The definition of “quality” is expanding to include wellness benefits. Your coffee bar can cater to the health-conscious consumer, particularly the younger demographic.
- The Demand is There: 46% of respondents are interested in added energy ingredients, and 45% are interested in nutritional benefits.
- Actionable Strategy: Introduce a “boost bar” with functional add-ins. Offer single-serving packets of protein powder, collagen, or immunity-boosting vitamins that can be easily mixed into hot or cold coffee for a small upcharge. This aligns with the desire for personalization and health-forward options.
The Right Equipment and Training: The Foundation of Quality
Your customization strategy is only as good as its execution.
- User-Friendly Equipment: Invest in self-serve automated coffee machines that allow customers to select their roast, add flavor shots, and create espresso-based drinks. This delivers variety and caters to the 60% who want different roast levels, all while maintaining the speed of service customers expect.
- Staff Training: If you opt for a barista-prepared model, consistent training is non-negotiable. Quality and flavor are paramount for younger, high-spend consumers, so ensure every cup meets a high standard, every time22.
Chasing the Chill: Dominating the Cold Coffee Market
Cold coffee, including iced espresso drinks and cold brew, is an essential, rapidly expanding category. Tapping into this trend is critical for diversifying your offerings and attracting the younger customer base that is fueling c-store foodservice growth.
Expand Your Cold Brew Program
Cold brew is gaining significant traction for its smooth flavor and perceived quality.
- Go Beyond a Single Spout: Offer different roasts (light, dark) or even flavored cold brews (e.g., vanilla, mocha) in self-serve dispensers. This simple expansion caters to the demand for variety.
Introduce Iced Espresso Options
While proximity draws customers, 43% still visit QSRs for specialty coffee, and 37% go for superior flavor. Iced espresso is a direct way to close this gap.
- The Core Menu: Offer popular iced drinks like lattes, cappuccinos, and Americanos.
- Execution: This can be achieved through automated machines that produce both hot and iced espresso drinks or through a small, dedicated beverage station. The key is to provide the specialty options customers are currently going elsewhere for.
Curate a Winning RTD Selection
Complement your dispensed program with a diverse selection of bottled and canned Ready-to-Drink (RTD) coffees.
- A Proven Performer: 69% of c-store coffee consumers already purchase RTD options.
- Strategic Assortment: Your cooler shouldn’t be an afterthought. Stock a mix of established national brands, popular espresso-based RTDs, and emerging health-forward options (e.g., low-sugar, plant-based, functional ingredients) to appeal to a broader audience.
Mastering the Dayparts: Driving Sales Beyond the Morning Rush
One of the most significant untapped opportunities lies in understanding and targeting different times of the day. Coffee demand is not uniform; it tapers off significantly after the morning rush.
- Early Morning (72% of coffee purchases)
- Mid-Morning (51%)
- Early Afternoon (39%)
- Actionable Strategy for the Morning Rush: Focus on speed and value. Heavily promote hot, fresh-brewed coffee and breakfast bundles. Ensure the station is fully stocked and easy to navigate to minimize friction.
- Actionable Strategy for Mid-Day/Afternoon: This is where you can create a new occasion. Shift promotional focus to cold coffee and specialty iced drinks as the perfect “afternoon pick-me-up.” Run targeted promotions (e.g., “$2 Iced Coffee after 2 PM”), offer smaller cup sizes at a lower price point, or bundle an iced latte with an afternoon snack to fight the afternoon slump and drive incremental sales.
The Power of Pairing: A Simple Strategy to Increase Ticket Size
A customer buying coffee is an opportunity for a larger sale. Strategic bundling based on known consumer habits can significantly increase the average transaction value.
For Dispensed Coffee (Hot or Cold): The top pairings are savory breakfast items and sweet pastries.
- Breakfast Sandwiches: 55%
- Pastries: 51%
- Actionable Strategy: Create a “Morning Combo” deal that explicitly pairs any dispensed coffee with a breakfast sandwich or pastry for a bundled price.
For RTD Coffee: The top pairings are grab-and-go snacks.
- Pre-packaged foods: 55%
- Chips: 53%
- Actionable Strategy: Position RTD coffees in or near the chip aisle and prepared food coolers. Use signage like, “Grab a coffee and a snack for your afternoon break.”
Evolving from Pit Stop to Premium Coffee Destination
The path to a more profitable coffee program is clear. It requires moving beyond the simple convenience of a hot pot of coffee and embracing a more sophisticated, customer-centric approach.
By understanding the core motivations of routine and impulse, mastering made-to-order service through customization and wellness options, dominating the crucial cold coffee category, and strategically targeting different dayparts, you can build a formidable beverage program. You already have the traffic; now it’s time to offer the quality, freshness, and personalization that will not only keep customers coming back but also position your store as a legitimate competitor to coffee chains. The investment in these strategies is an investment in loyalty, higher ticket averages, and the future of c-store profitability.
References:
- Westrock Proprietary Study on the C-Store Beverage Consumer, May 2025
- Datassential Premiumization Softening Report – Elevate
- Circana CREST 12ME April 2025 – Convenience Stores
