Convenience stores are often overlooked in the retail industry, especially when compared to the retail giants, such as supermarkets, or large high street clothing retailers, but convenience stores play a huge part in UK communities.
Job creation
The report showed that there are 405,000 employees in the convenience store sector, and according to data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS), it has a larger amount of people working in the industry than the agriculture, forestry and fishing industry and the real estate industry put together
This shows that this sector is not only convenient for the people who want to make purchases, but also for the community around them, who may benefit from flexible employment on their doorstep.
Ease of access
Convenience stores are named so because they are convenient. 57% of people who shop at convenience stores make their way to stores on foot, and 80% of customers surveyed live less than a mile away from their nearest convenience store.
The average customer will also visit their nearest convenience store 3.8 times a week, with 26% of all customers saying they visit every day
Impact on communities
As part of the survey, customers were asked to rank which establishments in the community had the most positive impact on the local area. Amongst the different types of establishments were pharmacies, pubs and bars, banks, restaurants, charity shops, petrol stations and pawnbrokers, of which, post offices and convenience stores were 1st and 2nd, respectively, on the list.
Convenience stores were also ranked 3rd best type of establishment for reducing loneliness in the community.
