Convenience stores are no longer just a pit stop for fuel and snacks.
What was once a quick stop for snacks and fuel is now becoming a direct competitor to fast-food chains, offering fresh meals, premium coffee and budget-friendly bundles.
But according to new research from Logile, a leading provider of operational and food safety solutions for retailers, 79 percent of Americans surveyed worry about food contamination or spoilage when shopping at convenience stores, and scepticism often outweighs appetite.
The 2025 Logile Convenience Store Food Quality & Safety Report, conducted via the third-party platform Pollfish, gathered insights from 1,000 U.S. adults to uncover the red flags, trust-building signals, and operational gaps that determine whether customers walk away or walk out with a purchase.
Key findings from the report include:
The “think twice” list runs long: 85 percent of respondents say they wouldn’t buy sushi from a “gas station” or convenience store. Packaged salads (41 percent), pre-cut fruit (40 percent), hot-case burritos (39 percent), and roller-grill hot dogs (36 percent) are also high on the “think twice” list.
Cleanliness is a make-or-break factor: 77 percent say food that’s been sitting out too long is a dealbreaker, and 59 percent won’t touch anything if the prep area looks dirty. More than half (56 percent) have walked away from a purchase after seeing an unclean machine or service station.
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