Question about Convenience Store Products

[Theo Tabler]

As I've mentioned on my intro thread , I'm thinking about getting into the convenience store/gas station business ,which is why I have a question regarding the sort of products that bring in the money at such places .

I know that junk food , soda , lottery tickets , etc. , bring in a lot of money for this type of business , however there may be a few other bread and butter items I may be overlooking . Does anybody have any experience with what sort of underrated bread and butter products are important for a convenience store's revenue ?

Thanks ahead of time .

[Paul]

Beer and cigarettes. If you haven't already you should join
NACS - The Association for Convenience & Fuel Retailing | NACS Online (http://www.nacsonline.com/Pages/default.aspx)
The national association for convenience & gas stores. Should get all the info you need.

[tallen]

I don't have experience from the store side, but I buy a lot of milk at the convenience store nearest us. One of the convenience store chains in our part of the country actually started as a dairy farm (Cumberland Farms (https://www.cumberlandfarms.com/company/family-story)).

Add to your list, coffee!

[Harold Mansfield]

Besides what was mentioned above, I think it's going to have a lot to do with your location and the demographic of your customers. Some stuff you can't know until you get in there and see what people are asking for, that you aren't stocking, as well as, what you are stocking and are not selling much of.

There's really no all purpose list that's going to cover that. You have to get in there and see.

[vangogh]

One thing you might do is go into a bunch of nearby convenience stores and see what they carry. If they all carry ice cream, you probably want to as well. Mostly think of all the things people will always leave their house to get. If you're out of cigarettes or milk, or bread, you're willing to go out at night to get some. If it's something that can wait till tomorrow, it might be something you don't need to carry.

If you start our carrying mostly the same things as everyone else does, you'll be ok. From there you can see what does and doesn't sell and keep track of the things customers ask for. Over time you'll be able to adjust. You don't have to perfect from day one. You can work to get as close as you can over time.

[Theo Tabler]

Speaking of cigarettes , is it possible that carton limits can have a negative impact on sales ? I was talking to a guy yesterday and he said that Virginia is planning on setting a limit on the amounts of cigarette cartons an individual can purchase at a store . I'm especially curious about this since I live in Virginia and plan to start up my business over there .

[Paul]

probably has to do with some agreement with other states to stop "smuggling" of un taxed cigs. I think VA has little or no tax on tobacco products. Technically you are supposed to declare and pay the tax when you bring into states that do tax. Obviously they don't bother anyone with a couple cartons at a time but they might on larger purchases. You should check the law. Maybe it only applies to out of state purchasers.

[Harold Mansfield]

Speaking of cigarettes , is it possible that carton limits can have a negative impact on sales ? I was talking to a guy yesterday and he said that Virginia is planning on setting a limit on the amounts of cigarette cartons an individual can purchase at a store . I'm especially curious about this since I live in Virginia and plan to start up my business over there .


probably has to do with some agreement with other states to stop "smuggling" of un taxed cigs. I think VA has little or no tax on tobacco products. Technically you are supposed to declare and pay the tax when you bring into states that do tax. Obviously they don't bother anyone with a couple cartons at a time but they might on larger purchases. You should check the law. Maybe it only applies to out of state purchasers.

Yep, totally about smuggling. As an approved retailer you probably won't have to worry about it. Same as Sudafed here. I doubt there's a limit on how much the store can order, just how much a customer can buy at once.

ATF has a page about taxes and smuggling
https://www.atf.gov/resource-center/fact-sheet/fact-sheet-tobacco-enforcement

[Theo Tabler]

Does anyone know of a maximum limit of cigarette cartons a store can sell to a customer in Virginia ? I know this is a bit of a lazy question since I can find the answer by contacting a retailer association of some sort , but I thought I'd post it anyway since I obviously don't want to sell over the limit , or even too far under it since that could hurt business .