UK Convenience store statistics 2020

Every year, the voice of local shops, the Association of Convenience Stores conduct research into the convenience retail industry to show how important convenience stores are to the UK economy. They provide a comprehensive view of the UK convenience sector, looking at where stores trade, their contribution to the economy and the essential role the shops play in local communities.

The infographic below highlights some of the key statistics from the 2020 local shop report.

The local shop report was carried out by the Association of Convenience Stores.

Key figures about convenience stores in the UK

• There are 46,955 convenience stores in mainland UK
• 72% of convenience stores are independent
• Convenience stores add £10.1bn of Gross Added Value (GVA) to the economy

What other services do convenience stores offer?

• 76% of convenience stores offer a bill payment service
• 49% of convenience stores offer free cash withdrawals
• 17% of convenience stores offer local grocery deliveries

Who owns convenience stores in the UK?

By age:

• Owners aged under 30 - 14%
• Owners aged between 31 and 40 - 21%
• Owners aged between 41 and 50 - 26%
• Owners aged between 51 and 60 - 24%
• Owners aged 60 and above - 15%

By gender:

• Female shop owners - 33%
• Male shop owners - 67%

By ethnicity:

• White British - 48%
• Asian or Asian British - 44%
• Other - 8%

How are convenience stores spread throughout the UK?

• Number of convenience stores in Scotland - 5,025
• Number of convenience stores in NE England - 2,060
• Number of convenience stores in Yorkshire/Humberside - 4,007
• Number of convenience stores in East Midlands - 3,551
• Number of convenience stores in eastern England - 3,981
• Number of convenience stores in London - 5,845
• Number of convenience stores in SE England - 5,768
• Number of convenience stores in SW England - 4,133
• Number of convenience stores in West Midlands - 4,487
• Number of convenience stores in Wales - 2,967
• Number of convenience stores in NW England - 5,131

What do convenience stores contribute to the economy?

• £10.1bn in GVA
• £8.9bn in tax contributions
• £585m worth of investments into their stores

For those investing these are the areas in which convenience stores invested in:

• Refrigeration - 42%
• Internal building maintenance - 35%
• In-store lighting - 30%
• Shelving - 23%
• Store signage - 15%
• Air conditioning - 12%
• Crime prevention - 12%
• Till systems - 10%
• Freezer space - 8%
• Full store refits - 5%
• Internal building development - 5%
• Parking spaces - 5%
• Improving store access - 5%

Who keeps convenience stores running?

There are 412,000 people employed in convenience stores across the UK. Here are the people who work in these shops day to day.

By gender:

• Female - 66%
• Male - 34%

By age:

• Aged between 16 and 24 - 23%
• Aged between 25 and 60 - 65%
• Aged 60 and above - 12%

Level of job satisfaction:

• 71% of workers are satisfied with their job
• 70% feel valued by their employer

Who shops at convenience stores?

The ACS's research looked into the kind of customers who shop at convenience stores. Here is what the average convenience store customer looks like.

By gender:

• Female - 51%
• Male - 49%

By age:

• Average age of a typical customer is 48

By basket size:

• Average basket size contains 2.5 items

By spend

• The average customer spends £7.46

By frequency:

• Customers visiting convenience stores daily - 22%
• Customers visiting convenience stores 5-6 days a week - 15%
• Customers visiting convenience stores 3-4 times a week - 24%
• Customers visiting convenience stores 1-2 times a week - 22%
• Customers visiting convenience stores less than once a week - 17%
• The average customer visits a convenience store 3.7 times a week.