Blog written by Jon Brucato
In a recent post, we shared how the best brands, from Starbucks to Buc-ee’s to Kwik Trip, are winning by keeping their people focused on what customers actually notice: the experience. Now, new data confirms that mindset isn’t just good leadership philosophy, it’s a competitive advantage that’s widening the gap between the top and bottom performers in convenience retail.
C-Stores Finding Success From Operational Investments
Recent studies from dunnhumby and the American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI) show that the industry is diverging fast. The leaders are investing in experience, frictionless operations, and loyalty, while many others are still tied up in administrative work that slows growth.
The findings spotlight the operators setting the pace:
- Buc-ee’s, Sheetz, and Wawa lead the industry in brand equity and growth, with top-tier c-stores growing foot traffic 2–3x faster than the bottom tier.
- Kwik Trip jumped to the top of the 2025 Customer Satisfaction Index, rising 8% year over year to an 84/100 rating — the highest in the industry.
- These brands are outperforming competitors by focusing on quality food offerings, clean, well-organized stores, and frictionless transactions like mobile ordering and rapid checkout.
- They’re also leading in digital engagement, with top-tier retailers seeing 33% higher app usage and 50% higher loyalty participation than their peers.
Embracing Operational Changes to Support Growth
This evolution marks a turning point for the c-store industry. Growth is no longer just about fuel, price, or speed – it’s about delivering consistency, convenience, and connection to improve the customer experience at scale. And the stores that are thriving are using automation and data to make that shift possible.
