CINCINNATI — C-stores are now among the top performers in the entire quick-service restaurant industry, according to a new national analysis from customer data science firm dunnhumby. In its first Retailer Preference Index for QSRs, c-stores not only ranked alongside traditional restaurant chains but also led the top tier.
The report evaluates 58 QSRs on how well their customer value propositions position them for long-term, sustainable market share growth. While 51 are traditional QSR chains, seven c-stores were included because they “receive a clear majority of their customers as meal mission destinations,” dunnhumby said. This inclusion reflects how strongly c-stores now “blur the lines with QSRs,” and dunnhumby refers to the full group collectively as QSRs throughout the report.
Buc-ee’s ranks first nationwide, followed by Kwik Trip at No. 2. Wawa, Sheetz, and Casey’s also appear in the top quartile of the index, placing five c-stores among the top 14 and highlighting their increasing prominence as meal destinations…