Beverages are outperforming snacks and fuel as a traffic driver to c-stores, according to a proprietary study by Westrock Coffee Co.
The study indicates that more than 80% of c-store visitors are making quick beverage purchases. Unsurprisingly, convenience store purchases are also driven by habit, with more than half of consumers already knowing which beverage they want before going into the store.
“Coffee, tea and other beverages play a crucial role in driving traffic to convenience stores and prompting purchase of food and other goods, so it’s important to stay ahead of trends in this category,” said Melissa Mackay, senior vice president of marketing and insight at Westrock Coffee. “Analyzing trends and understanding purchase motivations helps us continue to deliver our customer exactly what consumers want — even before they step inside the store.”
These insights and more are featured in Westrock Coffee’s latest issue of The Blend — a quarterly series of free downloadable reports that focus on consumer, retail and restaurant trends in beverage categories.
The Blend report for Q2 2025 focuses on the latest trends that are influencing consumer purchases at convenience stores and driving innovation in c-store coffee and tea, including:
- Convenience store motivations — insights on why consumers choose to shop at and purchase beverages from c-stores, compared to quick-service restaurant (QSR) or coffee chains.
- Consumer purchase patterns — a look at how coffee purchases in c-stores are influenced by both routine and impulse, with cravings often inspiring the type of purchase, but habit driving daily consumption.
- Flavor and freshness trends — an overview of how offering a variety of coffee flavors and freshness can increase purchases at convenience stores.
- Made-to-order customization — details on how rising consumer demand for customizable, premium coffee is providing an opportunity for convenience stores to evolve and close the quality gap with QSR.
“Since our research indicates that most consumers are already visiting convenience stores for coffee and other beverages, there is a clear opportunity for retailers to gain market share by offering premium options with greater customization,” Mackay added. “It’s not just about bringing the shoppers in — it’s about giving them a reason to come back.”
Westrock Coffee is an integrated coffee, tea, flavors, extracts and ingredients solutions provider in the U.S., providing coffee sourcing, supply chain management, product development, roasting, packaging and distribution services to the retail, foodservice and restaurant, convenience store and travel center, consumer packaged goods, non-commercial, and hospitality industries around the world. With offices in 10 countries, the company sources coffee and tea from 35 origin countries.
