COVER STORY
Direct-Store Operating Expenses (dollars per store) 2018
2017
Wages
$330,584
$311,284
% CHANGE
Payroll taxes
16,847
16,664
1.1
Workers compensation
13,564
12,653
7.2
Health insurance
30,651
29,331
4.5
Other benefits
5,578
5,457
2.2
Labor subtotal
$397,223
$375,389
Credit card fees
82,927
76,150
8.9
All other direct-store operating expenses
169,101
162,285
4.2
TOTAL
$649,251
$613,82
5.8%
6.2%
5.8%
Source: Convenience Store News Market Research, 2019
Five-Year Trend: Wages (dollars per store) $246,394 per store in 2014. With the current historically low unemployment rate, retailers can expect labor costs to continue to rise in 2019. Turnover of store associates was 132 percent, while manager turnover came in at 26 percent.
$330,584 2018
$311,284 2017
$285,320 2016
$264,185 2015
$246,394
2018
% change
2014
Source: Convenience Store News Market Research, 2019
Transactions
More consumers are doing their shopping over the internet or using delivery services. And greater fuel efficiency due to tougher fuel emission standards (CAFE) is resulting in fewer trips to the pump. Stronger competition from other retailers’ new hybrid convenience concepts, like Walmart and Kroger, also contributed to declining trips for c-stores.
In-store transactions per week
3,244
-1.4%
Motor fuel transactions per week
2,327
Average in-store transaction
$8.83
-1.0% fell 1.4 percent to an average of 3,244, and motor fuel 2.7% transactions declined 1 percent to 2,327 per week.
Average motor fuel transaction
$29.30
11.2%
Average gallons per transaction
9.7
9.0%
Source: Convenience Store News Market Research, 2019
C-store Square Footage 2018
Sales area
2,400
Non-sales area
800
Total store size
3,200
Total property size
27,800
2017
to 154.1 billion gallons. This marks the third year of slowly
27,800 declining gallons, compared to the 154.3 billion gallons sold in 2017 and 154.7 billion gallons sold in 2016.
2018
Source: Convenience Store News Market Research, 2019
Store size remained basically unchanged. The average sales area of a convenience store rose to 2,400 square feet last year, up slightly from 2,395.
3,205 2018, but the drop was small; declining just 0.1 percent
Employee Turnover
Store Managers
The average in-store transaction amount did increase, however, to $8.83, up from $8.60 in 2017, and the average motor fuel transaction increased 11.2 percent to $29.30, up from $26.35 the previous year.
2,395 Motor Fuels 810 The number of actual gallons of motor fuel sold fell in
Source: Convenience Store News Market Research, 2019
Store Associates
In 2018, the number of in-store transactions per week
132%
However, while drivers didn’t make a significant change to how much they gassed up, the amount they paid jumped last year, rising to $432 billion, compared to $390.4 billion in 2017.
26% On a per-gallon basis, the average sales price increased to $2.80 for a gallon of regular fuel, up from $2.53 per gallon the previous year.
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