Retrieved from Hudson press release.
Editor
Source: www.cstoredive.com, May 2023


As gasoline becomes less integral to everyday life, convenience retailers are exploring other areas where speedy service is key.

While customers are used to thinking of c-stores as roadside destinations, increasingly the retail spots are appearing in airports and hospitals as well as at college campuses and sports arenas — anywhere lots of people may need to pick up a few items or just stave off boredom.

C-store operators are adept at selling fast-moving goods in tight spaces, and their experimentation in these non-traditional locations might help prepare c-stores for the future of mobility.

Frank Beard, head of marketing for Rovertown, noted that while convenience stores without gas are “almost unthinkable” for many people, chains need to start thinking about that possibility.

“There’s an energy transition lurking, [and c-stores] don’t stand to benefit from EVs like internal combustion engines,” he said. “What are you going to do?”

Beard said he would like to see stores looking into places like amusement parks and bringing automated tech with them to boost convenience.

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The unique world of airport c-stores

Airport c-stores are familiar sights already for many consumers.

Hudson News operates more 1,000 stores in airports in North America. After starting at New York’s La Guardia in 1987, the retail chain expanded to other major airports in the following decade.

Travel convenience store Stellar News followed suit in 1988. Relay also has some North American locations, although its retail footprint is more common in Europe.

Some big-name chains have tried their hand at the airport life as well. The largest c-store chain in the world, 7-Eleven, began opening airport locations in 2015, starting with Los Angeles International Airport.

“They are all about the coolers and the roller grills,” said Alan Gluck, senior aviation commercial planner for ICF, a consulting and technology services company.

But 7-Eleven is not alone. A Circle K is at Edmonton International Airport in Canada.

There are some benefits to opearting airport locations. Air travelers are more likely to be well off and dwell time in airports can have customers waiting around for hours.

“Yeah, there’s money to be made in airports,” Gluck said, “and that’s really one of the best reasons.”

A photo of a Hudson Nonstop store at Dallas Love Field Airport
Courtesy of Hudson Ltd.

But airports aren’t ideal locations for every c-store. “There are huge differences between operations in an airport and operations on the street,” said Gluck.

For example, most airport stores are open constantly. “With rare exceptions, in really tiny airports, you are open every day,” he said.

Another place where airports differ from more traditional convenience locations is around crime. “Airports are a great place to do business because you don’t have armed robberies,” said Gluck. “They don’t happen in airports.”

The flip side is that the hiring process is much more stringent because workers need to be approved by the Transportation Security Administration.

Before retailers can build an airport spot, they have to be selected for a spot in the terminal through a competitive process, though specifics can vary from airport to airport.