Convenience Store vs Grocery Store | What’s the Difference?

Convenience stores and grocery stores seem very similar on the surface. They’re both a shop where you can pick up some food and maybe a few other items like paper towels, pet food, or over-the-counter medications. However, there are some pretty obvious differences between these shops.

Convenience stores typically sell pre-packaged food and beverages in small quantities and a limited variety. Grocery stores offer a much wider selection of food and beverage choices and sell more fresh foods like produce and meat.

Stopping by your local convenience store to pick up a few snacks and maybe a pre-packaged dinner is doable, but you won’t find many fresh ingredients at these shops. You’ll need to visit a grocery store to find all the components needed to make a full meal, like vegetables, fruit, and meat.

The types of food these stores sell are the biggest difference between convenience stores and grocery stores, but it’s just one of the many things that set them apart! Let’s dive into all the things that separate a convenience store from a grocery store.

What Is a Convenience Store?

Convenience stores are small shops, typically attached to gas stations, that provide customers with easy-to-grab products. Most convenience stores have some pre-packaged food, beverages, paper products, pet supplies, and a few other odds and ends available.

These shops are often located next to gas stations, on the corner of a busy street, or in another high-traffic and convenient location. Convenience stores usually have extended hours, and it’s not unusual for them to be open 24 hours.

What Is a Grocery Store?

Grocery stores used to be retailers that sold specifically groceries and nothing else. These days, grocery stores focus primarily on selling a variety of food and beverage items, including produce and meat. However, they also sell a small selection of other products, such as paper goods, pet supplies, and over-the-counter medications.

Most grocery stores are located in strip malls or streets lined with other popular businesses and restaurants. Unlike convenience stores, there are usually only one or two grocery stores per town. Grocery stores typically have more limited hours than convenience stores and are almost never open 24 hours.

What’s the Difference Between Grocery Stores and Convenience Stores?

There are several differences between grocery stores and convenience stores. Many people use these terms interchangeably, but these stores serve two primarily different purposes.

We already touched on the primary difference, but we’ll expand upon that and explain in detail the many other things that differentiate grocery stores from convenience stores. Let’s get started!

Purpose of Convenience Stores vs Grocery Stores

Grocery stores and convenience stores are designed with totally different purposes in mind. A grocery store is typically designed to provide customers with all the essential food groups and products necessary to make meals.

You’ll find spices, baking ingredients, meat, produce, and more mealtime staples at grocery stores. However, convenience stores don’t offer most of these products.

The purpose of a convenience store is to provide customers with easy-to-grab snacks and food to get them through the day or the next couple of days. You’ll find plenty of pre-packaged snacks, desserts, and treats at a convenience store. You’ll find some canned goods and maybe a basket of apples or bananas.

You won’t find all the ingredients necessary to make a full, healthy meal at convenience stores. Their purpose is to provide customers with simple food and beverages (along with a few other items) that can get them through a day or two. Grocery stores are made to provide customers with every food and beverage item they need to have full, healthy meals.

If interested you can also read my article comparing the differences between a supermarket and a convenience store here.

Products Available at Convenience Stores vs Grocery Stores

We already mentioned that grocery stores and convenience stores don’t offer all the same products. You’ll find a much larger snack section at your local convenience store than a canned goods section, whereas your local grocery store will provide you with a wide variety of both.

Let’s break down the types of products you can expect to find at convenience stores and grocery stores.

Convenience Store

Here’s a list of products typically sold at convenience stores:

Snacks (chips, candy, energy bars, etc.)
Dairy (milk, butter, ice cream, etc.)
Lottery Tickets
Tobacco/Nicotine Products
Alcohol (in some states)
Beverages
Canned Food/Boxed Meals
Specific produce items like apples or bananas
Newspapers/Magazines
Over-the-counter medications
Pet Supplies (in limited varieties and quantities)
Paper Products (in limited varieties and quantities)
Household Cleaners
Impulse Buys (pens, sunglasses, gum, keychains, etc.)
Automotive Supplies (oil, windshield washer fluid, etc.)

Convenience stores often sell easy-to-grab items that are a mix of practical and tempting. You might stop in to grab a quick dinner consisting of a can of chili and a bag of chips, then notice a quart of oil you need and a bottle of allergy medication you could use.

These stores provide customers with the very basics and aren’t meant to be your primary source of food or household supplies.

Grocery Store

These are the products typically found at a grocery store:

Meat (possibly with a deli section)
Produce
Bakery (possibly with a cake-making section)
Snacks
Dairy
Frozen Food
Canned Food
Boxed Food
Baking items
Spices
Beverages
Alcohol (in some states)
Paper Products
Housewares/dishware
Pet Supplies
Over-the-counter medicines
Newspapers, magazines, and books

Some grocery stores may sell a small number of other products like impulse buys, clothing, or electronics. There are also some grocery stores that sell tobacco products and lottery tickets. However, most have begun to move away from selling these items.

Location and Hours of Convenience Stores vs Grocery Stores

Convenience stores are usually attached to gas stations. Those that aren’t attached to gas stations are generally in high-traffic and convenient locations, like on the corner of a busy street. Convenience stores are typically much smaller than grocery stores and usually have extended hours. Some of these stores are even open 24 hours.

Grocery stores are more likely to be found in strip malls or along busy roads filled with other businesses and restaurants. These shops are much bigger than convenience stores but tend to have more limited hours. It’s very rare to find a grocery store that’s open for 24-hours.

Comparison Questions (Convenience Stores vs Grocery Stores):

Are Convenience Stores More Expensive Than Grocery Stores?

Convenience stores are almost always more expensive than grocery stores. Grocery stores buy from suppliers in bulk because they offer more products and serve a larger customer base. Since grocery stores buy products in large amounts, they often receive bulk discounts, which allows them to sell their products for a lower price.

Since convenience stores purchase smaller quantities of products, they don’t receive the same bulk discounts that grocery stores do. Without receiving those discounts, convenience stores need to sell their products at a higher price point to make a profit.

Some items may be the same price at a grocery store and convenience stores, like a bottle of soda or a single candy bar. However, you can generally expect all items in a convenience store to cost a little more.

What Are The Most Popular Items Each Store Sells?

The most popular items sold at convenience stores tend to be tobacco products, lottery, alcohol (where allowed), and dairy products. It’s very easy for customers to run into a convenience store while filling up their gas tank and pick up a gallon of milk, a pack of smokes, and a lottery ticket.

A grocery store serves a different purpose, so their most popular items are very different. The most popular items sold at a grocery store include soda/soft drinks, bread, milk, eggs, and breakfast cereals.

Is Food More Fresh at a Grocery Store Than a Convenience Store?

Many people think the food at a convenience store is less fresh than what you can find at a grocery store, but this is only sometimes the case. If you’re talking about fresh produce, then the products available at the grocery store will always be fresher than what you can find in a convenience store.

However, when it comes to pre-packaged items, both stores will have equally fresh products. Retailers aren’t legally able to sell food past a certain date, so you’re guaranteed a certain degree of freshness regardless of where you shop.

We also compare a grocery store to a supermarket in this detailed article here if you are interested.

The Verdict– What’s the Difference?

Convenience stores and grocery stores have many differences. The biggest difference is the type of food they offer. Convenience stores offer plenty of pre-packaged snacks, desserts, and a few canned/boxed food options. Grocery stores have plenty of fresh produce, meat, and baking products available.

If you’re looking for a few items to get you through the next day or two, then a convenience store is a suitable option. However, if you need to stock up on groceries or want to make a full meal, then you’ll need to visit your local grocery store.