How Do Convenience Stores Make Money

Start a convenience store by following these 10 steps:

You have found the perfect business idea, and now you are ready to take the next step. There is more to starting a business than just registering it with the state. We have put together this simple guide to starting your convenience store. These steps will ensure that your new business is well planned out, registered properly and legally compliant.

Check out our How to Start a Business page.

STEP 1: Plan your business

A clear plan is essential for success as an entrepreneur. It will help you map out the specifics of your business and discover some unknowns. A few important topics to consider are:

What are the startup and ongoing costs?
Who is your target market?
How much can you charge customers?
What will you name your business?

Luckily we have done a lot of this research for you.

What are the costs involved in opening a convenience store?

It can cost up to $50,000 to open your convenience store. Such an amount represents the cost of leasing an appropriate space, decorating the interior, and installing the point-of-sale system and any other technology you may require. You may need to purchase additional equipment based on any additional conveniences you wish to offer customers, from pay phones to fax machines and photocopiers. Depending on your state, lottery tickets often sell well, but carry an additional equipment cost. Finally, you will need to stock the store itself with the wide variety of goods that you intend to sell, which often comprises the majority of what you spend money on.

Read our convenience store purchasing guide to learn about the materials and equipment you'll need to start a convenience store, how much to budget, and where to make purchases.

What are the ongoing expenses for a convenience store?

Some of the primary ongoing expenses for a convenience store include your monthly lease and the cost of utilities. Beyond that, the biggest chunk of your expenses comes from inventory (which some research estimates may be up to 70 percent of your monthly spending) and labor. The exact costs of all of these expenses vary due to location, store size, exact inventory, and how much you choose to pay your employees. Note that paying them more than your local minimum wage will likely result in better loyalty and performance, which translates to greater profit for you.

Who is the target market?

The stereotype of convenience store customers is that many of them only pop into the store when they need a specific item, such as when a significant other requests certain food or drink and the customer doesn't want to deal with the hassle of a full-size grocery store. While these customers are good, they are more sporadic. As such, the preferred convenience store customer is the neighborhood regular who comes in every day or two and sees himself as supporting the neighborhood. As such, he will be both a regular and a friendly customer, which is a great combination.

How does a convenience store make money?

Convenience stores make money by buying goods and selling those goods to customers. Typically, convenience stores sell things such as snacks, soft drinks, car accessories, lottery tickets, tobacco, sometimes alcohol. Your profit represents the amount of money you have taken in after you have subtracted how much you paid for these goods as well as any operational expenses accrued throughout the month.

How much can you charge customers?

The somewhat open secret of a convenience store is that you are able to successfully mark many items up by a higher percentage than your local grocery stores or supercenters do. Customers are effectively paying for the convenience of not having to spend the extra time and effort to visit the larger store. Effectively, you can charge customers about eleven percent more than an independent grocery store does and about 20 percent more than a mass store like Wal-Mart does. Overall, this is very helpful for your monthly profit margin.

How much profit can a convenience store make?

Generally, convenience stores are profitable propositions, with average gross profit margins upwards of $450,000. Profitable ventures may result in an opportunity to open other locations within a city or area, increasing your potential profits that much more.

How can you make your business more profitable?

Ultimately, some of the best ways to make your convenience store more profitable are to find ways to reduce costs. This includes reducing the amount of staff necessary to prepare and sell any food that you sell on site and trimming your hours down to what is reasonable for your town (for instance, you should avoid being open 24 hours in most cases). Offering some kind of drive-through to sell food and coffee will give you an edge over the competition. Finally, always consider things that will save your customer time, such as providing an ATM in the store for their convenience.

What will you name your business?

Choosing the right name is important and challenging. If you don't already have a name in mind, visit our How to Name a Business guide or get help brainstorming a name with our Convenience Store Name Generator

If you operate a sole proprietorship, you might want to operate under a business name other than your own name. Visit our DBA guide to learn more.

When registering a business name, we recommend researching your business name by checking:

Your state's business records
Federal and state trademark records
Social media platforms
Web domain availability.

It's very important to secure your domain name before someone else does.

STEP 2: Form a legal entity

The most common business structure types are the sole proprietorship, partnership, limited liability company (LLC), and corporation.

Establishing a legal business entity such as an LLC or corporation protects you from being held personally liable if your convenience store is sued.

Read our Guide to Form Your Own LLC

Have a Professional Service Form your LLC for You

Two such reliable services:

You can start an LLC yourself and pay only the minimal state LLC costs or hire one of the Best LLC Services for a small, additional fee.

Recommended: You will need to elect a registered agent for your LLC. LLC formation packages usually include a free year of registered agent services. You can choose to hire a registered agent or act as your own.

STEP 3: Register for taxes

You will need to register for a variety of state and federal taxes before you can open for business.

In order to register for taxes you will need to apply for an EIN. It's really easy and free!

You can acquire your EIN for free through the IRS website, via fax, or by mail. If you would like to learn more about EINs and how they can benefit your LLC, read our article, What is an EIN?.

Learn how to get an EIN in our What is an EIN guide or find your existing EIN using our EIN lookup guide.

Small Business Taxes

Depending on which business structure you choose, you might have different options for how your business will be taxed. For example, some LLCs could benefit from being taxed as an S corporation (S corp).

You can learn more about small business taxes in these guides:

LLC Taxes
Sole Proprietorship vs LLC
LLC vs Corporation
LLC vs S Corp
How to Start an S Corp

There are specific state taxes that might apply to your business. Learn more about state sales tax and franchise taxes in our state sales tax guides.

STEP 4: Open a business bank account & credit card

Using dedicated business banking and credit accounts is essential for personal asset protection.

When your personal and business accounts are mixed, your personal assets (your home, car, and other valuables) are at risk in the event your business is sued. In business law, this is referred to as piercing your corporate veil.

Additionally, learning how to build business credit can help you get credit cards and other financing in your business's name (instead of yours), better interest rates, higher lines of credit, and more.

Open a business bank account

This separates your personal assets from your company's assets, which is necessary for personal asset protection.
It also makes accounting and tax filing easier.

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Recommended: Read our Best Banks for Small Business review to find the best national bank, credit union, business-loan friendly banks, one with many brick-and-mortar locations, and more.

Open net-30 accounts

When it comes to establishing your business credit, net-30 vendors are considered the way to go. The term "net-30," which is popular among vendors, refers to a business credit arrangement where the company pays the vendor within 30 days of receiving goods or services.

Net-30 credit terms are often used for businesses that need to obtain inventory quickly but do not have the cash on hand.

Besides establishing business relationships with vendors, net-30 credit accounts get reported to the major business credit bureaus (Dun & Bradstreet, Experian Business, and Equifax Business Credit). This is how businesses build business credit so they can qualify for credit cards and other lines of credit.

Get a business credit card

This helps you separate personal and business expenses by putting your business' expenses all in one place.
It also builds your company's credit history, which can be useful to raise money and investment later on.

STEP 5: Set up business accounting

Recording your various expenses and sources of income is critical to understanding the financial performance of your business. Keeping accurate and detailed accounts also greatly simplifies your annual tax filing.

STEP 6: Obtain necessary permits and licenses

Failure to acquire necessary permits and licenses can result in hefty fines, or even cause your business to be shut down.

State & Local Business Licensing Requirements

In most states, it is necessary to obtain the following licenses:

Tobacco vendors license: Must be renewed annually (Tobacco Products tax license)
A liquor license: Businesses involved in the sale of alcoholic beverages are required to obtain a liquor license from the appropriate state or local agency.
A lottery retailer's license: If a convenience store intends to sell lottery tickets (as many do) it will be essential to get a lottery retailer's license. These licenses are given out by state lottery agencies.

More information regarding these licenses and how to obtain them can be found on your state's local website.

Certain other state permits and licenses may be needed to operate a convenience store. Learn more about licensing requirements in your state by visiting SBA's reference to state licenses and permits.

Most states require retail businesses to obtain a seller's permit. A seller's permit enables states to record and collect taxes from goods (and sometimes service) sales.

Most businesses are required to collect sales tax on the goods or services they provide. To learn more about how sales tax will affect your business, read our article, Sales Tax for Small Businesses.

Convenience stores may also wish to look into applying for a resale certificate, which allows retailers to purchase goods intended for resale without paying sales tax.

If you sell food, you will need licensing from a local health department. Here are some tips for faring well on a health inspection.

For more information about local licenses and permits:

Check with your town, city or county clerk's office
Get assistance from one of the local associations listed in US Small Business Associations directory of local business resources

Music Licensing

In order to play music in a business setting, permission must be acquired from the composer or license holder. Typically, it is possible to obtain a "blanket" license allowing a businesses to play music owned by a large catalog of artists and recording studios. Such licenses can be obtained from Performance Rights Organizations, such as ASCAP or BMI.

Learn more about music licensing requirements

Certificate of Occupancy

A convenience store is generally run out of a storefront. Businesses operating out of a physical location typically require a Certificate of Occupancy (CO). A CO confirms that all building codes, zoning laws and government regulations have been met.

If you plan to lease a location:

It is generally the landlord's responsibility to obtain a CO.
Before leasing, confirm that your landlord has or can obtain a valid CO that is applicable to a convenience store.
After a major renovation, a new CO often needs to be issued. If your place of business will be renovated before opening, it is recommended to include language in your lease agreement stating that lease payments will not commence until a valid CO is issued.

If you plan to purchase or build a location:

You will be responsible for obtaining a valid CO from a local government authority.
Review all building codes and zoning requirements for your business' location to ensure your convenience store will be in compliance and able to obtain a CO.

STEP 7: Get business insurance

Just as with licenses and permits, your business needs insurance in order to operate safely and lawfully. Business Insurance protects your company's financial wellbeing in the event of a covered loss.

There are several types of insurance policies created for different types of businesses with different risks. If you're unsure of the types of risks that your business may face, begin with General Liability Insurance. This is the most common coverage that small businesses need, so it's a great place to start for your business.

Learn more about General Liability Insurance.

Another notable insurance policy that many businesses need is Workers' Compensation Insurance. If your business will have employees, it's a good chance that your state will require you to carry Workers' Compensation Coverage.

STEP 8: Define your brand

Your brand is what your company stands for, as well as how your business is perceived by the public. A strong brand will help your business stand out from competitors.

If you aren't feeling confident about designing your small business logo, then check out our Design Guides for Beginners, we'll give you helpful tips and advice for creating the best unique logo for your business.

How to promote & market a convenience store

Relative to other businesses, a convenience store doesn't need as much direct marketing because much of your traffic will be people who drive up as the need arises. Still, putting up billboards in the city or using bright and visible signage around your own store can help to get their attention. Similarly, you should embrace social media as a cheap way to engage customers and establish yourself within the community while also letting followers feel like insiders when they hear about deals. Speaking of that, many convenience stores use some form of loyalty programs. These may offer them all-purpose coupons or conveniences such as free coffee or food. This encourages regular visitations and may make customers likelier to come to your store than the competition.

How to keep customers coming back

Consider offering more "above and beyond" services at your convenience store. This may include a car wash, employees pumping gas and wiping windshields, and even employees greeting the door. This helps your customers feel pampered and makes them likelier to return. Consider some "outside the box" conveniences like having a Redbox rental station where customers can rent movies and video games. Embrace the kinds of loyalty programs mentioned above and don't forget that the best way to get a customer's attention is with attractive and organized displays within your store.

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Still unsure about what kind of business you want to start? Check out the latest Small Business Trends to help inspire you.

STEP 9: Create your business website

After defining your brand and creating your logo the next step is to create a website for your business.

While creating a website is an essential step, some may fear that it's out of their reach because they don't have any website-building experience. While this may have been a reasonable fear back in 2015, web technology has seen huge advancements in the past few years that makes the lives of small business owners much simpler.

Here are the main reasons why you shouldn't delay building your website:

All legitimate businesses have websites - full stop. The size or industry of your business does not matter when it comes to getting your business online.
Social media accounts like Facebook pages or LinkedIn business profiles are not a replacement for a business website that you own.
Website builder tools like the GoDaddy Website Builder have made creating a basic website extremely simple. You don't need to hire a web developer or designer to create a website that you can be proud of.

Using our website building guides, the process will be simple and painless and shouldn't take you any longer than 2-3 hours to complete.

Other popular website builders are: WordPress, WIX, Weebly, Squarespace, and Shopify.

STEP 10: Set up your business phone system

Getting a phone set up for your business is one of the best ways to help keep your personal life and business life separate and private. That's not the only benefit; it also helps you make your business more automated, gives your business legitimacy, and makes it easier for potential customers to find and contact you.

There are many services available to entrepreneurs who want to set up a business phone system. We've reviewed the top companies and rated them based on price, features, and ease of use.