March 31, 2026
teamtime/Depositphotos.com
Have Human Connections Become More Critical to C-Store Loyalty?
At least at c-stores, familiarity breeds loyalty, according to a new survey.
The national survey of over 600 U.S. drivers from Vontier, a provider of automation technologies, found the 24% who stop multiple times a week — described as “Super-Users” — aren’t heading to c-stores primarily for discounts. The most loyal c-stores customers are returning “because the store feels familiar, safe and part of their daily rhythm.”
Among the findings:
- Friendly service over rewards: Frequent visitors value “being known more than being discounted.” Vontier writes, “For them, loyalty is social, not mathematical. It is the nod from the cashier, the predictable rhythm of the stop and the feeling that this is their store.”
- Safety and predictability: About two-thirds of drivers prioritize well-lit, reliable sites. Vontier writes that such conditions “elevates the convenience store into a third place — the space between home and work where people feel grounded and welcome.”
- Food as culture: With 64% of millennials and 67% of Gen Zers stopping specifically for food and beverage, food offerings help establish c-stores as community hubs. Vontier states, “Food choices signal identity, taste and belonging, and younger drivers treat the convenience store as a place to express that. It is not just fuel; it is flavor, routine and micro-community.”
Vontier’s underlying message was that enhanced automation can free up c-store associates to bring more of the human connection to customers.
“If you want a customer to visit once a month, talk to their wallet. If you want them to visit every day, you have to talk to their heart,” said Andy Bennett, group president of Convenience Retail at Vontier.
Convenience, Loyalty, or Both: C-Stores Find Their Footing in a New Retail and Service Era
The American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI) Convenience Store Study 2025 found c-stores providing quality food and beverage options “in a clean and convenient setting” earning the most favor with consumers. Kwik Trip, Wawa, and Sheetz scored the highest grades in their study last year.
Forrest Morgeson, a marketing professor at Michigan State University and director of research emeritus at the ACSI, said, “The brands rising to the top are doing more than just selling coffee and snacks. They’re building communities inside their stores.”
The NACS (National Association of Convenience Stores) 2025 Convenience Voices survey still found 23.8% of shoppers typically only purchase fuel on their shopping occasions to a c-store, although more than three quarters (76.2%) will go into the store on some of their visits.
Asked what would most encourage them to step into the store, the top five responses were: better discounts, sales and promotions (38.1%); a loyalty or rewards program (24.7%); fresher/healthier options (24.4%); cleaner restrooms, (23.5%); and faster service/self-service checkout, (23.2%).
BrainTrust
Kevin Graff
President, Graff Retail
Jeff Hall
President, Second To None
Jeff Sward
Founding Partner, Merchandising Metrics
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Discussion Questions
Is the human touch and community building any more or less important for c-stores than other retail channels?
Has elevated food options changed the loyalty drivers for the c-store channel?
Poll
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I wouldn’t go far as to say the human touch and community building are more important for c-stores than other retail channels, but the reality is that c-stores are often an important fabric of the community they support. C-store owners often talk about the joy of serving 3 generations from the same families. The ability to make a true connection with their customers removes them from just being another store with products on a shelf with prices. The best operators know that they have the opportunity to create a great, if short, experience for their customers.
Your comment is what retailing is all about. “…removes them from being just another store…”
The most loyal c-stores customers are returning “because the store feels familiar, safe and part of their daily rhythm.”
Call me crazy, but I would think the most important factor in patronizing a convenience store is that it’s…well, convenient.
Honestly some of these “insights” strike me as either self evident – people don’t go for discounts – self-important, or just overthought: everyone values friendly service and a safe, clean environment wherever they might shop…I don’t find these demands to be peculiar to the C-store segment.
The topic of this article didn’t surprise me. Over the course of my career, I’ve worked extensively in the convenience store industry as both a speaker and consultant, and one thing is crystal clear: the human connection is no small thing. Retailers and customers alike thrive on the relationships made at their favorite stores. In this business, loyalty isn’t just important, it’s everything.
Of all the food retail shopper motivations researched (low price, quality, variety/selection, convenience, customer service), convenience is the most obvious anchor as c-stores have large numbers strategically located close to neighborhoods. But convenience and prices don’t differentiate one store from the many others. So c-store owners have significant sales upside in repeat shopper trips by committing their store brand to being of the local community via more local product selection, fresher food, friendly service, and recognizing customers by name. Customers notice and will reward stores who are dedicated to it … aka WaWa, Sheetz, Bucees, Maverik.
And please, owners, always spend more money on the restrooms. Why are so many still built and equipped as if they are operational for a post-apocalyptic world?
Without the human-to-human connection, the store becomes a commodity, a “store with stuff.” The only things that get customers to come back are convenience and prices. A friendly employee who interacts with regular customers creates a connection that becomes a competitive advantage, getting customers to come back.
C-store loyalty is getting back to something simple and human.
1. It’s not about points, it’s about being known.
The brands that win aren’t just rewarding transactions, they’re creating familiarity. A quick hello, a sense of recognition, a place that feels part of someone’s routine. That’s what keeps people coming back.
2. Consistency builds trust.
Clean stores, friendly faces, and a reliable experience matter more than we sometimes admit. These small, everyday moments stack up, and over time they become the reason a customer chooses you without thinking twice.
3. Technology should create space for people, not replace them.
When you remove friction operationally, you give your teams the ability to actually connect. That’s the real advantage.
At the end of the day, everything is a people business.
If you take care of the experience in a genuine, human way, loyalty tends to follow naturally.
This isn’t unique to c-stores, human connection and a welcoming environment matter across all retail. But I would argue it’s more impactful in the c-store channel specifically because of the frequency and speed of visits. Convenience may drive the first visit, but it’s the feeling of ease, safety, and being known that drives repeat behavior, especially when alternatives are often just across the street.
It is the “Cheers” factor. It doesn’t matter whether it is conscious or not, but when “everybody knows your name,” it is a warm, comfortable feeling, even in a C-Store.
No argument that the human factor is important in any retail setting. But…for C-stores, isnt the overwhelming factor…convenience…??? Also meaning proximity? If I am driving somewhere, I’m on a mission, an errand. I have an agenda. If I need to stop for gas or a snack, so be it. C-stores tend to have a very similar assortment of sodas, chips, candies, sandwich offerings, etc. How far out of my way would I drive to see a friendly face vs staying on course and stopping at the next…convenient…location? Or am I staying on course because I know there’s a Dunkin’ Donuts 3 blocks ahead? Not that DD is a C-store, but it’s an option if snacks are the assignment. Is ‘friendly face’ the first consideration for a stop at DD? Nope. Hot coffee and a warm donut. What’s the expression in real estate? Location, location, location. Then for me, it’s content. Offer a snack or beverage that will pull me off course. And then a friendly, helpful human is always appreciated.
The challenge for CStores is to move from transactional to real interactive relationships. I remember the days before “touch screen” food ordering. In those days the customer-facing associate would interact with the customer, asking if the sandwich content had the appropriate amount of ingredients, e.g., condiments. Today, customers have no interaction with the foodservice providers, seeing instead the tops of the heads or the back of the uniform. The challenge will be to return such human interaction while maintaining a sense of convenience.
Convenience stores occupy a unique place in retail. By definition, the channel is built around speed, accessibility, and efficiency, which means the “human touch” plays a different role than it might in specialty retail or department stores. While recent research suggests that frequent c-store shoppers value familiarity and feeling known — with loyal customers returning because stores feel “familiar, safe and part of their daily rhythm” — the human element in this channel is most valuable when it enhances convenience rather than slows it down.
In that context, the goal isn’t necessarily personalized service for its own sake. Instead, the human touch is most effective when it makes the purchase faster, easier, and more predictable — whether that’s a cashier who keeps lines moving, an associate maintaining cleanliness and in-stocks, or staff who quickly help customers locate items. Convenience shoppers typically aren’t seeking deep engagement; they’re seeking efficiency. If human interaction contributes to speed and reliability, it strengthens loyalty. If it creates friction, it works against the very premise of the format.
Elevated food offerings are also reshaping loyalty drivers in the channel. Foodservice has become one of the fastest-growing segments in convenience retail, with consumers — particularly Millennials and Gen Z — increasingly visiting c-stores specifically for prepared food and beverages. As c-stores evolve into legitimate food destinations, factors such as quality, freshness, and consistency become more important alongside speed and convenience. In this environment, friendly and efficient service can reinforce repeat visits, but again, the emphasis remains on fast, dependable experiences rather than traditional high-touch retail service.
Ultimately, human connection does matter in convenience retail — but in a different way. The winning formula is predictability, speed, and ease, supported by friendly, efficient employees who help customers move quickly through their purchase. Elevated food and beverage offerings are expanding the role of the channel, but convenience remains the core promise. If human interaction makes that promise stronger, it drives loyalty. If it slows things down, it undermines the very advantage that defines the convenience store model.
The human touch is an important element, but it does not displace the need for other components of the proposition. After all, a store like Rite Aid actually had very good customer service and strong personal interactions – but that wasn’t enough to save it. Why? Because other factors like the range and pricing were sub-optimal. Many convenience stores also need to look at those things in order to thrive.
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I wouldn’t go far as to say the human touch and community building are more important for c-stores than other retail channels, but the reality is that c-stores are often an important fabric of the community they support. C-store owners often talk about the joy of serving 3 generations from the same families. The ability to make a true connection with their customers removes them from just being another store with products on a shelf with prices. The best operators know that they have the opportunity to create a great, if short, experience for their customers.
Your comment is what retailing is all about. “…removes them from being just another store…”
Call me crazy, but I would think the most important factor in patronizing a convenience store is that it’s…well, convenient.
Honestly some of these “insights” strike me as either self evident – people don’t go for discounts – self-important, or just overthought: everyone values friendly service and a safe, clean environment wherever they might shop…I don’t find these demands to be peculiar to the C-store segment.
The topic of this article didn’t surprise me. Over the course of my career, I’ve worked extensively in the convenience store industry as both a speaker and consultant, and one thing is crystal clear: the human connection is no small thing. Retailers and customers alike thrive on the relationships made at their favorite stores. In this business, loyalty isn’t just important, it’s everything.
Of all the food retail shopper motivations researched (low price, quality, variety/selection, convenience, customer service), convenience is the most obvious anchor as c-stores have large numbers strategically located close to neighborhoods. But convenience and prices don’t differentiate one store from the many others. So c-store owners have significant sales upside in repeat shopper trips by committing their store brand to being of the local community via more local product selection, fresher food, friendly service, and recognizing customers by name. Customers notice and will reward stores who are dedicated to it … aka WaWa, Sheetz, Bucees, Maverik.
And please, owners, always spend more money on the restrooms. Why are so many still built and equipped as if they are operational for a post-apocalyptic world?
Without the human-to-human connection, the store becomes a commodity, a “store with stuff.” The only things that get customers to come back are convenience and prices. A friendly employee who interacts with regular customers creates a connection that becomes a competitive advantage, getting customers to come back.
C-store loyalty is getting back to something simple and human.
1. It’s not about points, it’s about being known.
The brands that win aren’t just rewarding transactions, they’re creating familiarity. A quick hello, a sense of recognition, a place that feels part of someone’s routine. That’s what keeps people coming back.
2. Consistency builds trust.
Clean stores, friendly faces, and a reliable experience matter more than we sometimes admit. These small, everyday moments stack up, and over time they become the reason a customer chooses you without thinking twice.
3. Technology should create space for people, not replace them.
When you remove friction operationally, you give your teams the ability to actually connect. That’s the real advantage.
At the end of the day, everything is a people business.
If you take care of the experience in a genuine, human way, loyalty tends to follow naturally.
This isn’t unique to c-stores, human connection and a welcoming environment matter across all retail. But I would argue it’s more impactful in the c-store channel specifically because of the frequency and speed of visits. Convenience may drive the first visit, but it’s the feeling of ease, safety, and being known that drives repeat behavior, especially when alternatives are often just across the street.
It is the “Cheers” factor. It doesn’t matter whether it is conscious or not, but when “everybody knows your name,” it is a warm, comfortable feeling, even in a C-Store.
No argument that the human factor is important in any retail setting. But…for C-stores, isnt the overwhelming factor…convenience…??? Also meaning proximity? If I am driving somewhere, I’m on a mission, an errand. I have an agenda. If I need to stop for gas or a snack, so be it. C-stores tend to have a very similar assortment of sodas, chips, candies, sandwich offerings, etc. How far out of my way would I drive to see a friendly face vs staying on course and stopping at the next…convenient…location? Or am I staying on course because I know there’s a Dunkin’ Donuts 3 blocks ahead? Not that DD is a C-store, but it’s an option if snacks are the assignment. Is ‘friendly face’ the first consideration for a stop at DD? Nope. Hot coffee and a warm donut. What’s the expression in real estate? Location, location, location. Then for me, it’s content. Offer a snack or beverage that will pull me off course. And then a friendly, helpful human is always appreciated.
The challenge for CStores is to move from transactional to real interactive relationships. I remember the days before “touch screen” food ordering. In those days the customer-facing associate would interact with the customer, asking if the sandwich content had the appropriate amount of ingredients, e.g., condiments. Today, customers have no interaction with the foodservice providers, seeing instead the tops of the heads or the back of the uniform. The challenge will be to return such human interaction while maintaining a sense of convenience.
Convenience stores occupy a unique place in retail. By definition, the channel is built around speed, accessibility, and efficiency, which means the “human touch” plays a different role than it might in specialty retail or department stores. While recent research suggests that frequent c-store shoppers value familiarity and feeling known — with loyal customers returning because stores feel “familiar, safe and part of their daily rhythm” — the human element in this channel is most valuable when it enhances convenience rather than slows it down.
In that context, the goal isn’t necessarily personalized service for its own sake. Instead, the human touch is most effective when it makes the purchase faster, easier, and more predictable — whether that’s a cashier who keeps lines moving, an associate maintaining cleanliness and in-stocks, or staff who quickly help customers locate items. Convenience shoppers typically aren’t seeking deep engagement; they’re seeking efficiency. If human interaction contributes to speed and reliability, it strengthens loyalty. If it creates friction, it works against the very premise of the format.
Elevated food offerings are also reshaping loyalty drivers in the channel. Foodservice has become one of the fastest-growing segments in convenience retail, with consumers — particularly Millennials and Gen Z — increasingly visiting c-stores specifically for prepared food and beverages. As c-stores evolve into legitimate food destinations, factors such as quality, freshness, and consistency become more important alongside speed and convenience. In this environment, friendly and efficient service can reinforce repeat visits, but again, the emphasis remains on fast, dependable experiences rather than traditional high-touch retail service.
Ultimately, human connection does matter in convenience retail — but in a different way. The winning formula is predictability, speed, and ease, supported by friendly, efficient employees who help customers move quickly through their purchase. Elevated food and beverage offerings are expanding the role of the channel, but convenience remains the core promise. If human interaction makes that promise stronger, it drives loyalty. If it slows things down, it undermines the very advantage that defines the convenience store model.
The human touch is an important element, but it does not displace the need for other components of the proposition. After all, a store like Rite Aid actually had very good customer service and strong personal interactions – but that wasn’t enough to save it. Why? Because other factors like the range and pricing were sub-optimal. Many convenience stores also need to look at those things in order to thrive.