What Convenience Stores’ Products Should Always Stock Up On

Convenience stores, c-stores in short, sell a wide array of necessities such groceries, prepared foods, toiletries, drinks, cosmetics, and much more. C-stores fill the gap when there are no grocery stores at a convenience distance. Customers, whether they are local or just passing through, are looking to pop in and pop out with what they need as quickly as possible.

No doubt this type of store has a wide variety of things on its shelves. It might be intriguing to consider which of these products consistently sell the best and always in short supply at the shop. Which products do you think should always be stocked up by convenience stores?

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1. Ready-To-Go Food

In the top spot are ready-to-go products. One of the main reasons why convenience stores are so popular is because of their assortment of ready-to-go food and refreshments such as Oden, corn dog, sandwiches, sushi and much more. Don Longo mentioned in Convenience Store News, 57 percent of consumers say ready-to-eat is the foodservice they most want from c-stores. Many customers who rush through c-store are in a rush or on the way heading to study or work as well as some are stopping for a break while travelling a long distance. In any case, they are seeking a quick and simple meal which only needs a few moments of heating or even can just grab and go.

2. Beverages

Beverages get the second place on this list. Beverages such as bottled water, soda, milk, coffee and energy drinks are very popular items sold at convenience stores. In the c-store, we can see that it always takes up half the space and is filled with many soft drinks in the fridge section. Customers who visit the c-store whether they are thirsty or not usually will grab a can of water. Sometimes, they just want to cool down their body in the hot weather in Malaysia; sometimes, they buy food and incidentally buy a drink to complete a meal.; sometimes, they are just eager to drink something cold and sweet for the taste. Moreover, most customers stop by c-stores for a cup of coffee to cheer themselves up instead of going to a cafe or coffee shops where the line can be long in different hours of the day.

3. Snacks

Third place goes to packaged snacks such as candy, chips, ice-cream and nuts. These products are a stable convenience store item as people like to nibble and would get them between meals throughout the day. Snacks are especially necessary for road trippers, long distance travellers and students who are preparing for exams. It is convenient for customers to just grab them from c-store rather than going to the shopping mall which takes more time. Moreover, most of the chain c-store are imported from other countries such as Family Mart from Japan and CU Mart from Korea. These c-stores contain of foreign snacks which are rarely found in Malaysia.

4. Toiletries

Number 4 is toiletries. A C-store with full ranges of toiletries such as shampoo, soap, toothpaste, lotion, tissues and much more will make it more appealing for customers with last-minute needs such as having suddenly ran out of stock at home. Also, for those who forgot to pack their items when they are travelling to another place. Moreover, toiletries in c-store make parents more convenient as they can quickly buy diapers in the nearest store.

5. Health Care Products

In the fifth spot is the health care product. Generally, convenience stores nowadays are setting up with a health care zone. It is good if a c-store keeps stock-up the health care products such as medical masks, hand sanitizer and over-the-counter medicine which can be bought without a prescription etc. Health care products are not the most popular in c-store, but it must be the most important and useful products provided in c-store. Most of the pharmacies are not open for 24 hours but convenience stores will. Thus, customers are able to get some OTC medicine such as pain relievers at the nearest c-store even if they come down with some ailment late at night or suddenly on the road. Also, it is convenient for travellers who suffer from motion sickness.