Buc-ee's, Sheetz, and Wawa are the Top Three U.S. Convenience Store Retailers, dunnhumby Reports

Retailers that achieved higher RPI rankings experienced growth rates up to 2.5 times greater over a five-year period compared to those with lower rankings.

CINCINNATI: dunnhumby, the global leader in customer data science, today announced Buc-ee’s as the top U.S. retailer in the Convenience Retailer Preference Index (RPI), a comprehensive, nationwide brand equity study that examines the approximately $860 billion U.S. convenience market. Buc-ee’s outperformed the other 40 convenience stores surveyed, scoring 17 points higher than Sheetz, which ranked second on the RPI. Wawa, Kwik Trip, and Walmart c-stores round out the top five c-store retailers with each excelling through distinct strategies focused on: quality, affordability, frictionless transactions, visibility, and product variety.

The Convenience RPI ranks U.S. C-store banners on their ability to deliver customer loyalty and growth beyond fuel. The retailers ranking in the top 13 (first tercile) include a mix of national and regional operators, as well as traditional c-store operators, chains that are extensions of core grocery chains, or traditional gas brands, proving there are multiple pathways to success.

“We're at an inflection point in convenience retail. The stores that are thriving aren't just keeping pace—they're reimagining what matters most to their customers,” said Matt O’Grady, dunnhumby's President of the Americas. “This report spotlights the successful retailers and provides c-store operators actionable insights to benchmark against the leaders, focus their efforts where they'll have the greatest impact, and build the kind of customer loyalty that translates to long-term growth."

Key findings from the study:

• Top-tier retailers are growing nearly two to three times faster than bottom-tier retailers, and when the c-store industry contracts, the top-tier still manages positive growth. Five-year compound annual growth rate (CAGR) in foot traffic, based on Placer.ai data, has been 7.2% for the top tier and only 2.5% for the bottom tier. In the past year, the top tier grew foot traffic by 0.8%, while the bottom tier contracted by 2.7%. Retailers with stronger customer value propositions – indicated by higher RPI rankings – grew up to two and a half times faster over five years than retailers with lower RPI rankings.
• Top-tier retailers have adopted three main strategies to be at the top of the rankings: 1) Converting over half of their customers to consider them as a meal destination; 2) Outperforming 90% of c-stores in terms of quality of products, food taste and store experience; 3) Maintaining clean, well-organized stores as well as providing core c-store needs such as fuel savings, while delivering affordable products.
• Frictionless transactions – easy meal customization, convenient ordering and pickup – is the third most important customer perception pillar. This is particularly vital for c-store shoppers who see these stores as meal destinations. Thirty percent of c-store customers say they usually visit a QSR within 30 minutes of leaving a c-store, and the QSR channel has been growing foot traffic for the past three years, while the c-store channel has been flat. C-Stores that are meal destinations today have superior meal item variety to QSRs, a strength they can continue to lean into.
• Top tier c-store retailers have superior personalization engines compared to bottom tier retailers. They are driving greater app adoption (33% of their customers use their app v 19% for bottom-tier), greater loyalty program adoptions (51% v 30%): two critical sources of data for delivering a personalized and, therefore, frictionless experience.
• A tale of two divergent paths emerges between the top-tier and bottom-tier. The top tier is full of c-store chains that are increasingly blurring the lines between traditional c-store offerings, QSR offerings, and grocery offerings. In contrast, the bottom tier has been slower to change their established practices. The cost to retailers who do this is clear in this study.

Methodology

The Convenience RPI score is a measure of customer perception of the c-store offering, giving more weight to those dimensions that have a stronger association with sustainable retailer results. The study includes the largest 41 c-store retailers in the industry. The financial data used in the dunnhumby model comes from Flywheel, and the customer perception data is sourced from a survey of 10,500 convenience store shoppers in the U.S. The six drivers of the customer value proposition are in order: 1) Quality, 2) Affordability, 3) Frictionless Transactions, 4) Visibility, 5) Product Variety, and 6) Traditional Convenience/Speed.

The RPI can be accessed today. Retailers included in the RPI that are interested in receiving their individual banner profiles can speak with their dunnhumby account executive or contact dunnhumby at dunnhumby.com. dunnhumby will also be attending the NACS Show in Chicago from October 14-17, 2025. Request a meeting here.

About dunnhumby

dunnhumby is the global leader in Customer Data Science, empowering businesses everywhere to compete and thrive in the modern data-driven economy. We always put the Customer First. Our mission: to enable businesses to grow and reimagine themselves by becoming advocates and champions for their Customers.

With deep heritage and expertise in retail — one of the world's most competitive markets, with a deluge of multi-dimensional data — dunnhumby today enables businesses all over the world, across industries, to be Customer First.

The dunnhumby Customer Data Science Platform is our unique mix of technology, software and consulting enabling businesses to increase revenue and profits by delivering exceptional experiences for their Customers – in-store, offline and online. dunnhumby employs over 2,500 experts in offices throughout Europe, Asia, Africa, and the Americas working for transformative, iconic brands such as Tesco, Coca-Cola, Meijer, Procter & Gamble, Raley's, and L'Oréal.

Fonte: Business Wire