Westrock Coffee Study Reveals Beverages Drive 80% of Convenience Store Visits
June 28 - 2025
Coffee Geography Magazine
Westrock Coffee Company, one of the world’s top coffee and tea manufacturers, is unveiling new research that reveals key motivations behind convenience store visits—and the types of products consumers are purchasing most frequently.
According to a proprietary study by Westrock Coffee, beverages are the primary driver of convenience store traffic, with over 80% of shoppers making quick beverage purchases—outpacing snacks and even fuel as the leading reason for visits. The study also highlights the role of habit in consumer behavior, with more than half of shoppers already knowing which beverage they intend to buy before entering the store.
These insights are featured in the latest edition of The Blend, Westrock Coffee’s quarterly series of free downloadable reports that explore consumer, retail, and restaurant trends in the beverage industry.
As North America’s largest private-label coffee and tea manufacturer, Westrock Coffee supplies beverage solutions to major brands across CPG, retail, convenience stores, restaurants, foodservice, and hospitality. The company is widely recognized for its deep expertise in coffee and tea trends.
"Coffee, tea, and other beverages play a crucial role in driving convenience store traffic and encouraging additional purchases, so staying ahead of category trends is essential," said Melissa Mackay, Senior Vice President of Marketing and Insight at Westrock Coffee. "By analyzing consumer behavior and purchase motivations, we help our customers deliver exactly what shoppers want—often before they even step inside the store."
The Q2 2025 edition of The Blend highlights key trends shaping convenience store purchases and innovation in coffee and tea, including consumer motivations for choosing c-stores over quick-service restaurants (QSR) or coffee chains, the balance between routine and impulse-driven coffee purchases, the impact of flavor variety and freshness on sales, and the growing demand for made-to-order customization.
The report underscores how premium, customizable coffee options present a significant opportunity for convenience stores to capture market share and enhance customer loyalty. "With most consumers already visiting c-stores for beverages, retailers can differentiate themselves by elevating their offerings," Mackay added. "It’s not just about attracting shoppers—it’s about giving them compelling reasons to return."
Westrock Coffee is a leading global provider of coffee, tea, flavors, extracts, and ingredient solutions. The company offers end-to-end services—including sourcing, supply chain management, product development, roasting, packaging, and distribution—to retail, foodservice, convenience stores, travel centers, CPG brands, and hospitality industries. With operations in 10 countries and sourcing from 35 origin nations, Westrock Coffee is a trusted partner for high-quality beverage solutions.