C-Store Transactions Drop 4.5% in First Half

The number of in-store transactions at convenience stores fell 4.5% during the first half of the year, marking a sharp decline that experts say could make for a difficult end to 2026. The total number of in-store transactions during the first half of this year fell 4.5% from the same period in 2025, according to Rapanick’s presentation, which cited NACS’ CSX Convenience Benchmarking data.

That equated to more than 1,100 fewer transactions on average per store than the previous year. Chris Rapanick, managing director of NACS Research, presented the data at the association’s annual show, describing the figures as “not pretty.”

Consumers are skipping the store

While fuel prices typically drive more customers into convenience stores, the opposite is happening this year. Beyond the drop in in-store transactions, Rapanick said, what’s also concerning is that the number of pump visits has dropped, as well, even though trips to the pump usually rise when fuel prices rise. Consumers are increasingly skipping the store during their fuel trips, said Rapanick. “They’re not even considering the fact that they could go inside the store to purchase something,” Rapanick said. “I think this is the worst that I’ve ever seen when both sides of the equation are off.”

The data also shows a growing number of fuel-less locations are closing. While 573 stores with gasoline opened during the first half of 2026, 356 sites without fuel shut down. These locations rely solely on food and merchandise sales, making them especially vulnerable to the decline in foot traffic. Rapanick said the continued closure of these stores highlights the difficulty of remaining viable without a gas station on site.

The convenience store sector has shown resilience in the past, with Rapanick noting that “the amazing thing about this business is there’s always something that pulls us out” during tough times. This year, that support has come from fuel margins, which reached their highest level since July 2022 in May. Still, Rapanick pointed out that the long-term outlook remains uncertain.