US Convenience Stores Growth Continues For Second Straight Year

The number of convenience stores in America is rising for the second year in a row. This comes after several years where the numbers were going down. A new report from NACS shows there are now 152,396 convenience stores nationwide in 2024. This is a 1.5% increase over 2023. Texas still has the most convenience stores with over 16,000 locations. California added back 177 stores after losing some last year.

Convenience stores grew faster than grocery and drug stores. Grocery and drug stores saw small decreases in store counts. Around 120,000 convenience locations also sell gas. With over 336 million people in the US, there is about one convenience store per 2,200 people.

While big chains with 500+ stores operate 21.6% of convenience locations, small "mom & pop" owners with 1-10 stores make up over 63%. Experts say the recent convenience store growth is because small owners are aggressively adding new stores. They want to benefit from changes in what people buy after the pandemic.