Retail is evolving and witnessing rapid changes on a larger scale in recent times. These changes in the way retail operations are carried out are primarily due to changing consumer behavior and technological advances.
Digital technologies are now heavily utilized to satisfy consumers’ demands and improve their experience. Convenience stores are not left out of these massive changes in the system of retail operations. They are one primary retail channel that is undergoing significant changes in recent times.
Online or Offline Shopping?
Gone are the days when retail operations were carried out solely in brick-and-mortar facilities. A large chunk of the revenue generated in the retail industry is now garnered from digital platforms. Manufacturers and retail companies are providing direct access for consumers to their products via online platforms.
Gradually, the line between online and offline shopping is blurring. Offers such as self-service, BOPIS (Buy Online, Pick In-Store), and curbside services are innovative ways the retail industry is adapting to the demands of consumers for better, faster, and efficient services.
Shoppers are increasingly getting aware of their impact on the environment. This is affecting their choices of what to and what not to buy. They are shifting towards clean and eco-friendly products. Sustainability, amidst many other factors, exerts a strong influence on changing consumer behaviors. Consumers are now opting for products that promise little-or-no environmental impact.
Brick-and-Mortar Success
Convenience stores, on the other hand, are brick-and-mortar retail outlets that have been booming in recent times. More than 150,000 convenience stores are reported to be in full-scale operations in the United States, and an estimated 165 million Americans visit these stores daily.
The convenience retail industry is also not left out in the disruptive changes overtaking the entire retail sector. It is also undergoing a radical transformation from being just a retail store for emergency items and convenience goods to become outlets that provide convenience and quality services as their customers want it.
The growth of convenience stores is deeply ingrained in the provision of what people want. This is evident in the stock goods found in convenience stores. Fresh foods, cold brew coffee, and beverages, a variety of quick-grab products are items found in convenience stores.
The stiff competitive environment created by retail disruptors like Amazon and upstart convenience retailers like Foxtrot and Alltown Fresh is causing convenience retail giants to resort to newer ways to do business. This is causing a reinvention of convenience retail as we know it to what it is becoming today.
From the store layout to the operational systems and consumer offerings, convenience stores are being remodeled to offer premium quality, faster and efficient services to their increasing diversity of customers. Thriving convenience store retailers are improving customer experiences and making everything even more convenient.
As consumer behaviors continue to change and evolve rapidly, the convenience retail industry must continue to take advantage of the opportunities to grow and create innovative solutions to the pressing demand of consumers for more value, convenience, and premium quality services.