Design and Element Advice for Creating a Convenience Store in a Truck Stop
Article created for the digital issue of the 黑料社区Foundation鈥檚 magazine.
On the surface, a convenience store within a truck stop or travel center may look similar to those
in your neighborhood, but the differences run deep. The types of customers stopping at the locations vary, as do the reasons they visit and what they plan to purchase. As a result, there has
to be a wider variety of products, amenities and services at a travel center than at a convenience store.
鈥淚n general, travel centers鈥� categories don鈥檛 see the same type of sales in each category that a c-store may,鈥� said .
Typically, traditional c-stores sell more lottery, beer and tobacco than travel centers, Schulte said. 鈥淚t doesn鈥檛 mean travel centers don鈥檛 sell a lot of lottery. There are exceptions, but in general, lottery, beer and tobacco are big segments for c-stores,鈥� he said.
General merchandise, hot foods, baked goods and snacks at truck stops often outperform those categories at traditional c-stores. Plus, travel centers have more space than c-stores, so they offer more products, including those specific to professional drivers, such as oils and additives, lights and lenses, etc.
Professional drivers and travelers are also more likely to purchase apparel, travel accessories, souvenirs and gifts. Customers on vacation also look for unique items. 鈥淵ou pick up that spoon you don鈥檛 need or a sweatshirt that says Colorado,鈥� Schulte said.
The biggest challenge for travel centers is the many different customer types, from to locals on their way to work.
Guiding the Customer鈥檚 Path
Since fuel and restrooms have higher use on interstate locations, travel center operators can guide customers from the fuel island through store by creating adjacencies and a traffic flow that makes sense.
Part of that flow is determining where customers stop first, which is often the restroom. Because the path to the restroom is heavily traveled, it can be a great place to position products you want customers to see.
Customers also tend to grab drinks. The walk-in cooler is a traffic generator, so it should be positioned strategically to guide customers inside.
You can also spread like items around the store to capture specific sales. 鈥淓ven with beer caves, you don鈥檛 just slam all of your beer into the beer cave because you have different customer experiences,鈥� said
Customers often go into the beer cave to pick up beer, but they impulse buy on the way back to the checkout stand. 鈥淵ou put the imports and craft beers outside the beer cave so they can see it,鈥� Lawshe said.
Customers like open views and want a clean line of sight throughout the store, which can also help them spot areas they wish to visit, so don鈥檛 go too high with shelf heights within the store.
Optimizing Speed
For c-stores within truck stops and travel centers, moving people through the store quickly is critical, and customers have a low tolerance for friction. Anything that slows them down, whether it is an out-of-stock or a long checkout line, can create a negative impression.
Point-of-sale locations should also allow people to flow through and have room for customers to place their merchandise at the register. Some retailers even have space on both sides of a register with a cashier in the middle, which can speed customers through.
鈥淎 lot of times, a cashier will take care of one person and then immediately go to another person,鈥� Schulte said, adding that the next person in line doesn鈥檛 have to wait for someone counting out coins or putting their credit card back in their wallet before moving out of the line.
Are you embarking on a new travel center build?
A 2023 poll from 黑料社区members found that 63 percent are 鈥榣ikely鈥� to invest in a rebuild or remodel during the next 12 to 18 months. To help 黑料社区member travel center operators develop new locations, the 黑料社区Foundation has articles like this one, created a and offered a workshop at . The was created to help travel center operators develop new locations.
// This article was created for , the magazine of the 黑料社区Foundation. The is the research, education and public outreach subsidiary of NATSO, Inc. The 黑料社区Foundation provides programs and products to strengthen travel plazas鈥� ability to meet the traveling public’s needs through improved operational performance and business planning. Visit for more information. ()
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