Foodservice and merchandise sales for the U.S. convenience retail industry rose to $341.2 billion in 2025, marking a 1.7 percent increase over the previous year. According to new State of the Industry data from the National Association of Convenience Stores (NACS), this represents the 23rd consecutive year of inside-sales growth for the sector.
Total industry sales, combining in-store and fuel revenue, reached $817.5 billion. While fuel accounted for 65 percent of total sales dollars, it contributed only 38.8 percent of gross profit. In contrast, in-store sales remain the primary driver of profitability.
Foodservice dominates profitability
Foodservice continues to lead in-store performance, accounting for 28.5 percent of sales and a significant 38.9 percent of in-store gross profit dollars. Prepared foods – including pizza, sandwiches, and salads – make up nearly 74 percent of all foodservice sales.
- Top Categories: Prepared food is the largest segment, followed by packaged beverages at 18.7 percent of in-store sales.
- Snack Trends: Alternative snacks, such as jerky and nuts, saw a 7.9 percent sales spike. NACS attributes this growth to increased demand for protein-rich items among GLP-1 drug users.
Fuel trends and transaction volume
Convenience stores currently sell about 80 percent of the fuel purchased in the U.S. While total fuel sales dollars dropped 5.4 percent to $476.3 billion due to lower pump prices – averaging $3.11 per gallon in 2025 versus $3.30 in 2024 – actual gallons sold increased by 0.5 percent.
Despite the sales growth, the average store saw a 2.7 percent decrease in daily transactions, averaging 1,484 per day.
Operational costs and labor
Direct store operating expenses (DSOE) increased by 4.2 percent, the slowest growth rate since the pandemic. However, certain costs reached new highs:
- Card Fees: Swipe fees for credit and debit cards hit a record $21.3 billion.
- Labor: The industry supported 2.75 million jobs in 2025, with store-level hourly wages averaging $15.04.
Store count and tax contribution
The total U.S. convenience store count sits at 151,975, a marginal 0.2 percent decrease from the previous year. Notably, the number of stores offering fuel rose to 122,620, the highest level in eight years. The industry also contributed $232 billion in local, state, and federal taxes, representing more than 28 percent of its total revenue.
NACS will release its complete “State of the Industry Report of 2025 Data” in June, featuring further analysis of these trends.
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