Convenience Stores Are Eating Fast-Food Chains’ Breakfast
People love quick breakfasts. Fast-food chains like McDonald’s used to rule this market. Now, convenience stores are taking a big bite. They offer fast meals too. This change is big news in the food world.
The Rise of Convenience Stores in Breakfast
Convenience stores sell gas and snacks. But they now focus on food. They make hot breakfast items. Think egg sandwiches and burritos. Chains like 7-Eleven and Wawa lead this shift. They add full menus for morning eats.
In the past, people went to McDonald’s for breakfast. Now, they stop at a corner store. These stores are everywhere. You can grab food while filling up your car. This makes life easy for busy folks.
Food sales at these stores grow fast. In 2024, they hit $121 billion. That is a lot of money from meals and drinks. Breakfast is their strong point. More people choose stores over chains.
Key Statistics and Trends
Look at the numbers. Fast-food breakfast visits fell 8.7% last year. That is from Revenue Management Solutions. Meanwhile, convenience store morning traffic rose 9%. Circana shared this data.
McDonald’s sees less morning rush. In 2019, breakfast was 33.5% of their visits. Now, it is 29.9%. Placer.ai tracked this drop.
Convenience stores win big. Their food sales grew 19.7% in 2022. That is from $43.2 billion to $51.7 billion. Food now makes up 18.8% of store sales.
Surveys show change. InTouch Insight asked people. 72% see stores as real options to fast food. That is up from 56% last year. Half said they skipped fast food for store breakfast lately.
Casey’s General Store grew sales 5.6%. They sell breakfast pizza. It has eggs, cheese, and sausage. People love it.
Trends point to more growth. By 2025, store food sales may hit new highs. Technomic predicts 5.7% growth. Fast food grows slower at 4.7%.
Examples of Competing Chains
Wawa is a top player. They are in the Northeast. Their stores have fresh food. You can get hoagies and coffee. Breakfast includes sandwiches and smoothies. Wawa’s customers grew 11.5% since 2022. McDonald’s, Burger King, and Wendy’s lost 3.5%.
7-Eleven upgrades kitchens. They offer gourmet items. Think avocado toast. They even try Japanese rice balls for breakfast.
Buc-ee’s is famous in Texas. They have big stores. Fresh brisket sandwiches start early. People line up for them.
Sheetz adds nutrition experts. They make healthy options. Yogurt parfaits and protein shakes sell well.
RaceTrac bought Potbelly. That is a sandwich chain. Cost was $566 million. Now, RaceTrac adds better sandwiches. This helps their breakfast game.
On the fast-food side, Starbucks fights back. They have fancy drinks. But stores offer cheap coffee. Taco Bell tries breakfast too. Yet, stores are closer to home.
Casey’s rules in the Midwest. Their pizza is scratch-made. Breakfast version has bacon. It beats some fast-food deals.
Reasons Behind the Shift
Why this change? Money is tight. Prices rose everywhere. Breakfast is easy to skip. Or eat at home. McDonald’s CEO said this. Chris Kempczinski noted breakfast hurts most.
Stores cost less. A chicken sandwich is $2.30 cheaper there. That adds up. People want value.
Stores are quick. No long drive-thru lines. Grab and go. Plus, buy gas or snacks too.
They focus on fresh. No more old hot dogs. Now, made-to-order meals. Chefs help design menus.
Work changed after the pandemic. More hybrid jobs. People grab breakfast near home. Not on the way to office.
Stores expand. 7-Eleven plans 1,100 new food spots. By 2030, more stores too.
Gas sales drop. Tobacco too. So, food fills the gap. It brings higher profits.
Young people like options. Gen Z wants healthy eats. Stores add smoothies and granola. Fast food seems greasy.
Consumer Behaviors
Shoppers are smart. They watch budgets. 48% switched to stores for breakfast. InTouch asked 1,170 people.
Blue-collar workers visit often. A quarter go daily. They buy breakfast there. 42% eat in-store.
People multitask. Fill gas, get coffee, grab eggs. One stop saves time.
Surveys show trust. 50% think store food is as good as restaurants. Better price too.
Heavy users love drinks. 17% buy beverages daily. Stores have energy drinks with breakfast.
Parents like quick meals. Kids get yogurt while adults get sandwiches.
Online orders help. Apps like 7NOW deliver. This beats some fast-food waits.
Clean stores win. Nice lighting and space. People feel good eating there.
Challenges for Fast-Food Chains
Fast food feels the pain. Traffic drops. Breakfast is weakest.
They raised prices. Now, they cut them. McDonald’s has $5 meals. But stores match or beat.
Competition grows. Stores are in more places. Over 152,000 convenience spots. Many offer food.
Fast food copies stores. They eye late-night sales. Add energy drinks.
But stores innovate faster. They hire from restaurants. Build better kitchens.
Margins squeeze. Food costs rise. Chains struggle to keep cheap deals.
Breakfast skips hurt. People eat at home more. Or skip altogether.
Loyalty apps help chains. But stores add their own. Points for gas and food.
Strategies Convenience Stores Use
Stores fight smart. They offer deals. Like $5 combos. EG America’s Cumberland Farms has them. Pizza slice, chips, drink.
Circle K does tiers. $3, $4, $5 options. Bundle with energy drinks.
Twice Daily has $6 burgers with fries. They train staff well.
Stores stay trendy. Add flavors. Signature items stand out.
They use variety. Hot cases, grills, freezers. Different from chains.
Marketing boosts value. Not just price. Quality and trust too.
Partnerships help. With suppliers for deals. Or buy chains like Potbelly.
Focus on dayparts. Breakfast strong. But add lunch, dinner.
Cleanliness matters. Good staff training. Food safety first.
Future Outlook
What next? Stores keep growing. Food sales lead in 2025.
Fast food adapts. More all-day breakfast. Better apps.
But stores have edge. One-stop shop. Closer locations.
Consumers win. More choices. Better prices.
Experts say quality wins. Not just cheap. David Portalatin from Circana agrees.
Jeff Lenard from NACS sees chains copying stores.
The battle heats up. Breakfast is key. Stores might take more share.
In the end, convenience rules. Quick, cheap, good. That is the new breakfast way.
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