The US industry organisation NACS has published new market data on the development of the convenience store sector. According to the data, in-store sales for US convenience stores rose to US$341.2 billion in 2025. Beverages and foodservice offerings developed particularly strongly, with direct implications for packaging needs in the retail sector.
In 2025, beverages remained the second-largest product category in the US convenience store trade. Their sales share rose to 18.7 percent, according to NACS, which was 0.8 percentage points higher than the previous year. This confirms the high importance of beverage cans, PET bottles, and other convenience packaging for the US retail sector.
The foodservice sector is also growing in parallel. It achieved a share of 28.5 percent of in-store sales and is now the industry's biggest profit driver. Ready-to-eat products such as pizza, sandwiches, burgers, wraps, and salads were in particularly high demand. This increases the demand for to-go, transport, and fresh packaging for packaging manufacturers.
The convenience channel remains an important sales market for packaging
The industry's total sales – including fuel sales – reached 817.5 billion US dollars in 2025. According to NACS, it was the 23rd consecutive year of rising in-store sales. The data is based on information from retail companies with more than 35,000 outlets.
The development in beverages, in particular, is considered an important indicator for the packaging industry. Convenience stores in the USA are among the most important sales channels for single servings, impulse products, and chilled beverage packaging. At the same time, new consumer trends such as high-protein snacks and ready-to-eat meals are driving demand for flexible and logistics-friendly packaging solutions.
The number of convenience stores stood at 151,975 locations in 2025. The number of outlets with fuel offerings reached its highest level in eight years with 122,620 locations.
Beverage cans and to-go concepts benefit
The ongoing shift towards high-margin in-store products is relevant for packaging providers. Beverage cans and to-go packaging in particular are benefiting from the expansion of foodservice offerings and the continuing trend towards quick consumption solutions in convenience retail.
Source: NACS
