Number Of U.S. Convenience Stores Grow

The number of convenience stores in the U.S. increased for the second consecutive year, continuing the reverse of a four-year decline, a new report from NACS and NielsenIQ show. 

As the calendar turned to 2024, the number of convenience stores in the U.S. were up 1.5% to 152,396. This growth followed 2023 when the 150,174 locations were also up 1.5% from the prior year. The growth reversed a three year decline from 2020 to 2022.

According to the report, Nearly every state increased its store count including Texas, which continues to have the most convenience stores (16,304 stores), or more than 1 in 10 stores in the United States. After losing 53 stores in 2023, California added 177 to its store count. Only seven states saw a reduction in their store count: Alaska, Iowa, Idaho, Louisiana, Maine, Oklahoma and Vermont.

With the U.S. population at an estimated 336 million, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, there is one convenience store per every 2,204 people.

The growth in convenience stores outpaced the grocery and drug channels, both of which saw declines in the number of stores. Grocery was down 0.7% while drug was down 0.6%. Dollar stores outpaced these channels, growing at a rate of 3.7%.