By Shefali Kapadia
Convenience stores are no longer just a spot to grab an energy drink and a bag of chips. The retailers are increasingly becoming an outlet for prepared meals and fresh food – even sushi – while still maintaining grab-and-go convenience.
For packaging suppliers, the c-store sector presents a growing opportunity to supply innovative designs that maintain freshness and extend shelf life, while simultaneously helping c-stores boost their branding.
“This is a very attractive channel and category for packaging businesses to be looking at,” said Thilo Henkes, managing director, partner and leader of the global packaging practice at L.E.K. Consulting.
Prepared foods make up an increasing share of sales in convenience stores. Foodservice — which includes prepared foods, dispensed beverages and commissary items — led in-store sales in 2025, totaling 28.5%, according to the National Association Of Convenience Stores. That’s up from just under 12% in 2005. Prepared foods such as pizza, chicken, burgers, sandwiches and salads are the largest segment at nearly 74% of foodservice sales, an increase from more than 66% in 2021.
“Food and beverage has never been more important in a c-store than it is now,” said Farley Kaiser, senior director of culinary innovation at McLane Fresh, the foodservice program of distributor McLane.
SHEFALI KAPADIA 