The mindset of today’s retail shopper has changed. It used to be, people defined themselves by the things they acquired-the best, the most expensive and the latest greatest trends. Today, we are what we experience, not just what we own. We spend much of our time searching for social media content instead of purchasing. How good will this look on my Instagram feed? It seems we are only as good as the sum of our Instagram pictures and online persona. While a picture is worth a thousand words, there needs to be more motivation to drive shoppers to enjoy the in-store experience.

AlixPartners’ 2016 North American convenience store consumer study is the first to take an in-depth look at consumer behavior in the c-store industry. It's findings point to the need for c-stores to master four strategies to succeed in this space: enhancing the execution of foodservice programs, improving the customer experience, building scale, and launching comprehensive enterprise-improvement programs.