Dive Brief:
- A YouGov rating poll found that 62% of U.S. adults had a positive opinion — noted as “popularity” — of 7-Eleven during Q3 2022, which was more than any grocery or c-store brand during the period.
- 7-Eleven’s rating was boosted by the Millennial group of respondents, among whom 7-Eleven earned a 65% popularity rating. Among Generation X, it dropped into second place, and fell to third among Baby Boomers.
- These results come as 7-Eleven and c-store rival Circle K — also mentioned in the report — make concerted efforts to innovate their foodservice and technology to improve their customer experiences.
Dive Insight:
Aldi and Kroger were second and third in the all-adults list with a 61% popularity rating each, while Circle K came in at No. 9. Additionally, men ranked 7-Eleven at the top and Circle K in eight place, while among women, 7-Eleven dropped to third and Circle K moved up to seventh.
According to YouGov, “popular” in this poll’s context means the percent of its more than 20 million respondents who had a favorable opinion of the store.
The trend of younger generations liking c-stores more than older ones matches the findings of an NCSolutions survey taken in October that found convenience stores were loved more by Generation Z consumers than those of other age groups.
While it might be unusual to see these two c-store names on a list of grocery stores, the NCSolutions survey also found that 40% of respondents went to c-stores for milk, juice and other staples, while 30% did so for prepared foods.
But the fact that c-stores are appearing on this list of grocery stores people feel positively about suggests that not only are they offering a good quality and variety of products, but they’re also offering a good shopping experience.
Both 7-Eleven and Circle K have focused on customer engagement through foodservice and technology in 2022. 7-Eleven recently sought new technology partners to help boost productivity and the in-store experience through innovations in artificial intelligence and augmented reality. Meanwhile, Circle K pledged $55 million to its Venture Fund to aim for something similar.
