In a recent survey conducted by CivicScience, a striking contrast emerged between those who frequently purchase food or beverages at convenience stores and those who rarely or never do. The survey, which ran from January 1 to April 8, 2025, gathered responses from 3,732 U.S. users, revealing intriguing patterns across various demographics.
Among the respondents, 13% reported buying from convenience stores several times per week, while a significant 44% stated they rarely or never make such purchases. This disparity highlights differing consumer habits and preferences, influenced by factors such as gender, area of residence, parental status, income, and age.
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Gender plays a notable role in purchasing frequency. Males are more inclined to frequent convenience stores several times per week, accounting for 55% of such respondents, compared to 45% of females. Conversely, females dominate the group that rarely or never visits these stores, making up 54% of that segment.
Urbanicity also affects purchasing behavior. City dwellers are more likely to buy from convenience stores several times per week, with 37% doing so, compared to 27% of rural residents. Suburbanites fall in between, with 35% making frequent purchases. Those living in rural areas are more likely to rarely or never shop at convenience stores, comprising 25% of that group.
Parental status further distinguishes consumer habits. Parents are the most frequent shoppers, with 47% purchasing several times per week, while only 15% of grandparents do the same. Among those who rarely or never shop at convenience stores, 38% are neither parents nor grandparents.
Income levels reveal another layer of complexity. Lower-income groups, earning between $0 and $29,999, and middle-income groups, earning $30,000 to $49,999, are equally likely to shop several times per week, each representing 23% of that category. However, higher-income individuals, particularly those earning $75,000 or more, are less frequent shoppers, with only 11% making regular purchases.
Age also influences shopping frequency. Younger respondents, aged 18-24, are more likely to purchase about once per week, while older individuals, particularly those 65 or older, tend to rarely or never shop at convenience stores, comprising 31% of that group.
These findings underscore the diverse factors shaping consumer behavior at convenience stores. Understanding these patterns can help businesses tailor their strategies to better meet the needs of different demographic groups.
This article’s data comes solely from CivicScience’s database, which contains nearly 700,000 poll questions and 5 billion consumer insights. Our AI content creation tool, DataScribe, supported the article.
