As c-store customers start to hit the road for the busy summer travel season, retailers are uniquely positioned to cash in on beverage purchases as travelers look for a quick pick-me-up or companion to their road trip snack.
In 2026, the convenience store customer is increasingly seeking out quick, easy beverage options with an emphasis on functionality, value and bold flavors.
“Summer tends to amplify immediate-consumption beverage occasions in convenience stores, particularly around hydration, energy, iced coffee, refreshers, frozen beverages and functional drinks,” said Tim Powell, managing principal at Foodservice IP. “From our ‘Emerging Beverages in Foodservice’ study, consumers increasingly view beverages as small indulgences and meal companions, especially during travel, commuting and afternoon snack occasions.”
Powell is noticing a shift from traditional indulgences to functional benefits when it comes to summer beverage sales and preferences.
“Consumers — especially Gen Z and millennials — are looking beyond traditional soft drinks toward beverages tied to energy, hydration, protein, probiotics, wellness and customization,” he said. “Cold coffee, refreshers, flavored energy beverages and hybrid formats continue gaining attention.”
For packaged beverages, Powell sees single-serve and immediate-consumption formats picking up steam due to their portability and convenience. On the dispensed and frozen beverage side, he continued, “operators continue focusing on differentiation, premium flavors, seasonal offerings and higher-margin customizable experiences.”
“Looking ahead, consumers will likely continue expecting more premiumization, functionality, personalization and convenience from beverage programs,” Powell noted. “We also expect continued innovation around energy, hydration, frozen refreshment, better-for-you indulgence and crossovers between traditional packaged beverages and foodservice-style experiences.”
What Are Retailers Seeing?
Idaho Falls, Idaho-based Good 2 Go, which operates over 80 c-stores across the U.S. Mountain West region, sees summer beverage sales as “paramount to the success of the entire c-store,” according to Good 2 Go Senior Category Manager Sam Dearden.
“Summer is an extremely important part of the c-store business as a whole,” he said. “… I won’t share specific percentages, but the 100 days of summer, or Memorial to Labor Day, are what make or break the year. All levels — from strategy, planograms, pricing and promotions, down to in-store execution — need to be at their best. Our geographic area and strong seasonal travel only elevate this importance to our business.”
At Boise, Idaho-based Stinker Stores, which operates more than 90 locations across Idaho, Colorado and Wyoming, Ken Rash, the chain’s VP of merchandising, shares a similar philosophy.
“Summer beverages are critically important to Stinker Stores. They represent one of our strongest seasonal growth drivers, often contributing a significant double-digit percentage lift to in-store sales during peak months,” said Rash. “In our Idaho, Wyoming and Colorado markets, hot weather and tourist destinations drive higher traffic for cold drinks, which pair exceptionally well with our fresh food offerings. Beverages consistently deliver strong margins and help boost basket size with the current value-driven promotions we are running.”
When it comes to specific segments, Dearden noted that while they all get a lift to some degree in the summer, the big winners will be water, sports drinks and energy, mainly because of “growth compounded with foot traffic.” Beer also “sees strong seasonal trends.”
At Stinker, packaged beverages see the largest overall lift in the summer, with Rash noting that the highest-performing segments will likely be energy drinks, sports drinks, bottled water and carbonated soft drinks, with beer providing an additional uptick to sales.
“On the dispensed side, fountain drinks and frozen/slush beverages surge depending on the weather,” Rash continued. “Beer also performs very well in summer with seasonal and light options. In our region, the combination of outdoor recreation, road trips and warm weather makes these categories high-velocity performers.”
Summer Merchandising
When it comes to merchandising beverage products at Good 2 Go, Dearden explained that it is a top-down process to ensure that each store is equipped and prepared to meet the influx of seasonal customers.
“First, we make sure the core parts of the business are taken care of, ensuring promotions are strong and ready for the summer,” he said. “Ensuring ops teams are excited and beverage focused is a part of this; the best laid plans and planograms are worthless when your coolers are 100% blown out. (We ensure) they have the resources to be the most efficient they can (be) while stocking coolers or are just aware of the increased velocity and needed attention.”
Rash noted that Stinker focuses on visibility and convenience when it comes to merchandising for the summer. Some of these tactics include adding “innovation coolers” which highlight functional energy drinks and new hydration options; cross merchandising with snacks, ice and coolers; implementing digital signage with seasonal point-of-sale (POS) offers; optimizing the cold vault and fountain layouts for faster grab-and-go; and leveraging the Stinker Rewards app for targeted offers.
Additionally, Stinker Stores uses limited-time offers (LTOs) to “drive trial, social sharing and repeat visits while keeping our beverage wall fresh and exciting,” Rash noted.
“We rotate limited-time flavors aggressively — tropical, berry and citrus profiles perform especially well in summer,” he said. “We partner with suppliers for exclusive or early-access items and run “Summer Sip Series” type promotions with new frozen flavors or custom fountain combinations.”
Good 2 Go also harnesses the power of LTOs, with Dearden noting that incremental growth is crucial in this process, in addition to meticulous planning.
“Ensuring you have clear plans so the product lands is critical,” he said. “Without this, you will see growth, but not to its full potential.”
Category Expectations
Looking ahead, both Rash and Dearden agreed that an underestimated beverage trend continues to be functional offerings, namely with caffeine, hydration and protein, driven by the rising influence of GLP-1 medications. Customizable beverage options, too, have been gaining steam in the beverage space and could see an additional lift this summer.
“Many retailers still treat beverages transactionally, but consumers — especially Gen Z and millennials — are looking for personalized experiences and drinks that do more than quench thirst,” said Rash. “Also, the ongoing strength of premium and better-for-you indulgent options. Retailers who invest in better equipment for frozen or custom drinks and highlight functional benefits on the shelf will win.”
This summer, Stinker will continue to focus on its core values and initiatives, Rash noted, which include clean stores, friendly service and delivering real value.
“Summer is when our guests are out enjoying the incredible outdoors our region offers, whether hiking, camping or road tripping, so we focus on being their reliable stop for cold, refreshing beverages that fuel those adventures,” he said. “We’re always testing new ideas through our loyalty program and innovation sets to stay ahead of what our customers want next.”
Good 2 Go is also putting additional emphasis on the basics to ensure operations run smoothly and efficiently during the busy season.
“The summer is a key part of c-stores’ business, and beverages are a critical category,” said Dearden. “This is the time to get things right, execute the basics and ensure your big bets hit the mark.”
