Dollar Sales per Store
2024 vs. 2023
Total sales In-store merchandise Foodservice Motor fuel
45%
24%
25%
5%
5%
24%
24%
47%
8%
17%
29%
46%
5%
26%
31%
38%
7%
26%
36%
31%
8%
21%
31%
40%
7%
25%
35%
33%
5%
25%
35%
35%
Total sales In-store merchandise Foodservice Motor fuel
unit volume per Store
2024 vs. 2023
STAYED THE SAME
INCREASED
DECREASED
DON'T KNOW/
NOT SURE
Reflecting on 2024, less than half of participants (45%) said their total dollar sales increased for the year, while an even smaller number (35%) reported a gain in total unit volume.
Independents and small chains are increasingly relying on in-store performance (merchandise and foodservice) to drive profitability. In 2023, their gross profit split was 54% in-store vs. 46% fuel. Last year, the distribution shifted to 62% in-store vs. 38% fuel.
DON'T KNOW/
NOT SURE
DECREASED
STAYED THE SAME
INCREASED
SIGNIFICANTLY LOWER THAN 2024
SAME AS 2024
BETTER THAN 2024
ONE OF OUR BEST YEARS EVER
6%
35%
31%
6%
Foodservice sales
In-store merchandise sales
Sales & profit performance
Motor fuel volume
2025 Performance to Date
21%
7%
29%
35%
24%
5%
7%
35%
29%
25%
4%
7%
31%
38%
19%
5%
SLIGHTLY LOWER THAN 2024
Surveyed between March and May, fewer than three in 10 small operators expected their sales and profit performance to be better this year. This was a significant change from last year when, at this point, 61% expressed a positive outlook.
The industry’s smaller retailers are most bullish on foodservice, as nearly four in 10 expect their foodservice performance this year to be better than last year. This compares to 24% who expect the same for their fuel business and 29% for their in-store merchandise business.
Nearly all the small operators surveyed offer some form of foodservice, with hot dispensed beverages and prepared food being the most widely available. Nearly eight in 10 operators, though, rate their foodservice offering as average or limited, which signals an opportunity for enhancement and/or expansion.
4%
Inflation & economic issues
Increasing operational costs
Labor turnover & hiring
Supply chain issues/out-of-stocks
Declining tobacco sales volume
Motor fuel prices
Crime/theft
Tobacco regulation
Industry consolidation & competing with larger chains
Insufficient attention from suppliers that favor larger chains
Foot traffic declines
Changing consumer expectations of “convenience”
Competition from outside the industry
Increasing pressure to invest in foodservice
Keeping up with emerging technologies
The rise in e-commerce
Trust/reputation
Biggest Business Challenges of 2025
78%
62%
53%
45%
40%
38%
33%
33%
29%
27%
27%
25%
25%
15%
15%
15%
Other obstacles of increasing concern compared to last year are declining tobacco sales volume (cited by 40% this year vs. 21% a year ago) and foot traffic declines (cited by 27% this year vs. 12% a year ago). Both issues are also offshoots of inflation.
Inflation and economic issues are once again viewed as the biggest threat to small operators’ 2025 sales and profitability, cited by 78% as their top challenge, up from 58% a year ago.
Increasing operational costs, also a byproduct of inflation, jumped from the fifth most-cited challenge last year to No. 2 this year. The percentage of operators pointing to this as their top business challenge nearly doubled, going from 33% to 62% year over year.
“It is getting very expensive to run a small business.”
— Study participant
5%
15%
15%
16%
16%
16%
18%
22%
24%
24%
24%
25%
27%
35%
Store remodeling
Training & retention programs
Expand merchandise assortments
Technology to increase efficiency for current operations
Technology to enhance the customer experience
Develop/expand fresh prepared food programs
Develop/enhance loyalty program
New store construction
Add/update order & delivery options
Streamline merchandise assortments/reduce SKUs
Digital marketing/personalization
Store growth via acquisition
Supply chain & logistics
Develop/enhance social media strategy
Top Investments Planned for This Year
Training and retention programs for an improved workforce
Expanding merchandise assortments
Technology to enhance the customer experience
Developing and expanding fresh food programs
To make their stores more attractive to consumers and more competitive in a marketplace that is full of bigger and better new-build locations from the industry’s large chains, small operators are investing in store remodeling — 35% cited this as their top area of investment for 2025.
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Along the same lines, improving the customer experience is a priority to keep shoppers happy and earn their loyalty. Nearly a quarter of the retailers surveyed are investing in:
