3 Big Numbers is a weekly column that looks at a few key details from around the c-store industry.
Coffee is back. The number of people drinking coffee outside their home daily has returned to pre-COVID-19 levels, according to a report from the National Coffee Association published in September. About 36% of survey respondents said they’d gotten java from somewhere other than their own kitchen in the previous day.
Convenience stores are well positioned to profit from coffee sales — NACS reported that in 2022, hot dispensed beverages accounted for more than 9% of foodservice sales, with margins over 66%. But to tempt customers away from QSRs and coffee shops, convenience retailers need to offer a quality drink with plenty of customization options.
In today’s “3 Big Numbers,” we look at how c-store retailers are modifying their coffee programs and marketing to keep themselves top-of-mind among consumers.
60
The number of coffees Wawa sells to rewards members every minute.
Wawa is welcoming in the new year with big beverage discounts through Feb. 16 — including $1 for any size hot coffee or $2 for iced coffee.
Customers are quite fond of Wawa’s coffee program. Hot coffee is currently the most-redeemed item in Wawa Rewards, even though for the same number of points, customers could get a breakfast burrito, donut, muffin or fountain drink.
Moreover, the company shared that rewards customers are buying one hot coffee per second, or 60 per minute. Even if every single one of those was Wawa’s smallest coffee size, 12 ounces, that’s almost 3 million gallons of coffee a year to rewards members alone.
6.2%
The boost in hot beverage sales 7-Eleven earned with a breakfast value combo.
7-Eleven has been updating coffee stations in many of its stores since 2023 as part of the company’s larger foodservice expansion. It also rolled out a combo deal last year where customers could get a large coffee and donut for $3.
The deal, which launched at the end of September, drove a roughly 1% boost in average hot beverage sales per store for the first two weeks, according to 7-Eleven’s data. The next week, the average gains rose 5.4%, before hitting 6.2% the week of Oct. 21.
That’s a solid result — though the promotion had a bigger impact on sales of donuts, suggesting that many of those taking advantage of the deal probably were already buying their coffee from 7-Eleven.
8
The number of flavors in Casey’s refreshed coffee program.
While 7-Eleven and Wawa are using promotions to get their coffee in even more hands, Casey’s is doing what 7-Eleven has been working on for the last year-plus and revamped its coffee program entirely.
The new program, Darn Good Coffee, includes eight new flavors: Casey’s house blend, 100% Columbian, French roast, “Rooster’s Call” high-caffeine roast, salted caramel toffee, light roast, decaf and the limited-time toasted pecan blend.
To help customers determine which flavor they should try, Casey’s website also includes a chart showing how much caffeine each blend has and how dark the roast is, as well as sharing select creamer combinations customers can add for a more artisan coffee experience.
