Street Fight LIVE Insights: Stopping at C-Stores with Mike Templeton
Some people collect snow globes or stickers on road trips. Others boast that they’ve seen all the National Parks. Still others have a thing for selfies in front of weird vintage structures. But Mike Templeton, one of the speakers at Street Fight LIVE stops at and collects insights from convenience stores (C-stores), the unsung heroes of the MULO (multi-location) ecosystem. He says,
“The c-store industry is a local force to be reckoned with at more than 150,000 nationwide. That’s more than the number of dollar, drug, and grocery stores combined.
Convenience stores are more than simple gas stations; many are running multiple business models in addition to fuel. Convenience stores offer gas, cigarettes, and lottery tickets, but they’re also becoming the coffee shop, a fill-in for groceries, a place to wash your car, and more.”
Once viewed as places to buy gum and cigarettes or relieve oneself, supermarkets are now high-tech, multi-product (and multi-location) hubs for a wide range of products and services.
Templeton shared his “photo album” of his trip to Chicago, highlighting the different architectural styles, brands, and features of C-stores — from the folksy “everyone is welcome because it feels like home” vibe to the mega-structure, complete with e-car charging stations, full-service restaurants, a wide range of merchandise, and activities to amuse everyone in the family.
Many of us will make those stops along the way with the holiday season approaching. If your gas tank or e-charge can hold out, rather than just looking for a “bathroom or gas near me,” perhaps you should explore some of the new features in the C-store world and start creating your own MULO photo album to share with the decision-makers at your retailer, restaurant, agency, or tech company.
Some of Mike’s words of wisdom about C-stores (that can be applied to other MULO categories) are:
- Don’t let your ‘primary category’ define you. Businesses must resonate with consumers for more than their category classification to continue to win traffic in the future.
- Think beyond ‘attributes’ to actual consumer needs. What people search for and what they want or need can be two different things. Identify what differentiates your business and is a valid driver of consumer interest, then build on that to make it a “known for.”
- Always be convenient. When technology becomes overwhelming, or you can’t get a clear direction from your customer, default to convenience. Consumers will always appreciate a more frictionless path.
Watch this space for more recaps of Street Fight LIVE sessions and news about SFL 2025.