A Longitudinal Study of American and Canadian Convenience Store Marketing Strategies

Convenience stores are part of the Canadian and American landscape. Consumers depend on them for fuel, coffee, tobacco, snacks, fast-food, bathrooms, and more. Convenience stores account for more than one third of the retail brick-and-mortar sales. Yet, there is a paucity of marketing research on this retail format. The present study examines the marketing strategies of convenience stores in 2008 and 2018, assessing the changes in strategy over a decade in the U.S. and Canada. The findings indicate that convenience stores in both regions have been able to offer products and services that will bring about repeat sales and increase their profitability. Convenience stores offer customers time saving while providing what they value most: fast service, expedient locations, quality customer service and an adapted marketing mix. Although there were more similarities than differences in marketing strategies in both regions, Quebec convenience stores were the most effective in implementing their marketing mix and adapting their strategy. Implications for convenience stores are discussed.