Convenience stores in the UK - statistics & facts
Time-strapped shoppers are utilizing their local and compact food stores more than ever; the total value of convenience store retail in the UK was estimated to reach over 49 billion British pounds for the first time in 2024.
A convenience store is a small, local retailer that sells a limited selection of everyday staples, including snacks, baked goods, dairy products, shelf-stable food products, and drinks. Sometimes known as corner shops in the UK, most convenience stores are easily accessible and have long opening hours to cater to shoppers’ needs. Along with their local counterparts, many well-known supermarket retailers also operate a large number of convenience stores across the UK.
Some of the leading product segments sold in convenience stores include tobacco products, alcohol, chilled foods, and soft drinks. Energy drinks were the most popular type of soft drink that impulse shoppers reached for in convenience stores. Sales of energy drinks, otherwise known as stimulant drinks, reached over 1.2 billion British pounds in the convenience sector in 2024.
Convenience stores are set to remain an important channel in the UK grocery shopping landscape. Retailers must continue to adapt to shopper preferences as younger generations start to have a growing impact on the market.
The UK convenience market
The number of local convenience stores in Great Britain has been on an upward trajectory in the past years and reached almost 50,500 in 2025. Despite an increase in the number of stores, employment has dipped slightly. The number of jobs in convenience stores decreased by around 2,000 between 2024 and 2025, perhaps signalling a shift towards higher automation in this retail sector.Some of the leading product segments sold in convenience stores include tobacco products, alcohol, chilled foods, and soft drinks. Energy drinks were the most popular type of soft drink that impulse shoppers reached for in convenience stores. Sales of energy drinks, otherwise known as stimulant drinks, reached over 1.2 billion British pounds in the convenience sector in 2024.
Convenience store shoppers
Members of the millennial and Generation Z cohorts were the most likely to regularly shop for everyday products in convenience stores in the UK according to a recent survey. Baby boomers were the least likely, with just five percent of respondents regularly using this shopping channel. The average spend per visit to local convenience stores increased in Great Britain in 2020 and 2021, reaching a peak of over 10 British pounds in 2021. By 2025, this figure had decreased by just over three pounds, signaling a change in spending behavior post-pandemic.Convenience stores are set to remain an important channel in the UK grocery shopping landscape. Retailers must continue to adapt to shopper preferences as younger generations start to have a growing impact on the market.
