At the 2026 NACS Show in Las Vegas, Mark Rahiya, group president of omni-channel sales and services at The Acosta Group, observed a notable trend. Despite challenges such as high fuel prices, inflation, and geopolitical unrest, consumers continue to spend money at convenience stores, creating opportunities for both retailers and food and beverage brands.
Attendance at the event topped 25,000, with busy booths and a high sentiment among attendees. Rahiya noted that there is a significant investment in the foodservice space at convenience stores, with a focus on innovation. He emphasized the importance of bringing this innovation to life and winning a share of consumer spending.
C-Stores and Innovation
Rahiya highlighted the growth of functional benefits in consumer demand, citing products like nacho-flavored chips with 10g of protein per serving. To turn shopper interest into sustained sales, c-stores and brands must develop effective packaging, marketing, and execution strategies.
Products with added protein, such as Doritos tortilla chips, illustrate the business opportunity within c-stores. Rahiya noted that consumers are eating less and being more selective about their food choices, making convenience stores an ideal location for meal or snack solutions.
Rahiya emphasized the importance of understanding consumer demand for protein and how it fits with existing products. He suggested that branded companies should consider protein content, marketing strategies, and bundling opportunities to create effective brand programming.
Evolving Consumer Demand
Consumer demand for functional benefits continues to drive purchases at retailers. At c-stores, the majority of customers fill up their vehicles with fuel and never enter the store. To entice customers to shop inside, c-stores need to offer healthier snacks or meal replacements, Rahiya said.
Converting even a small percentage of customers to shop inside can significantly impact margins. However, c-stores have work to do in showcasing product innovation, including improved execution, positioning, and promotional tie-ins.
Rahiya noted that the health and wellness trend offers opportunities for c-stores, but few have fully seized this opportunity. The trend has been developing for years, but c-stores have only recently begun to embed health and wellness offerings into their foodservice.
With the evolution of foodservice at c-stores, the health and wellness trend has become more embedded. C-stores can help busy, health-conscious customers by offering quick, better-for-you food options, such as salads with 15 grams of protein or wraps that can be consumed on the go.
Rahiya emphasized the importance of calling out the healthier aspects of these offerings to drive sales and traffic. By doing so, c-stores and brands can increase their sales and win lunch or dinner sales.
Casey’s offers iconic pizza. Wawa and Sheetz are beloved for their made-to-order sandwiches and breakfast items. Many brands can take a cue from those successful c-store offerings.
Rahiya suggested that brands need to figure out how their product fits into an integrated meal occasion or snacking occasion, such as through combos and tie-ins.
Evolving technology can help brands find success on c-store shelves. Rahiya said, “If you want to be a successful brand, your core focus always must be the consumer. You need to understand who your customers are, how they shop and where they shop. Investing in the right technology, data and analytics allows you to uncover those insights faster, make smarter decisions and translate that understanding into more effective strategies and execution at retail.”
Once brands possess those invaluable consumer insights, they can leverage the information into their R&D. “Now you’ve got the consumer insights, you have the data, and you have the innovation,” Rahiya said. “What you have to really build then is category insights – how it fits in the category, the role it should play, and what it’s going to mean for retailer or c-store A, B, C, or D.”
“And, if you can use that technology to build a better category story, that’s very powerful,” Rahiya added. In other words, innovation alone isn’t enough – brands also need the right shopper insights, category strategy, and retail execution to drive significant growth.