Help power Marketplace this winter when you support the show today. Donate Now!

As Canadian firm bids for 7-Eleven, convenience stores are having a moment

Aug 19, 2024
They've changed since the days of "smokes and Cokes".
Convenience stores have upped their food offerings lately, partially in response to fewer smokers.
Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images

Gas stations depend on getting customers inside. Is that a problem right now?

Mar 30, 2020
The U.S. has 150,000 convenience stores — and most are connected to gas pumps.
Some health experts question the safety of small convenience stores during the global COVID-19 pandemic.
Joshua Lott/Getty Images
A Lawson’s store in Lakewood, Ohio in 1975 (left), and a Lawson store in Tokyo’s Akasaka neighborhood in 2018. Even though the brand was founded in Ohio, there are zero Lawson stores in the continental U.S. today, and over 14,000 in Japan. 
Special Collections, Cleveland State University Library & Adrian Ma/Marketplace

The convenience store of the future is always watching

Jan 24, 2018
Sure, no lines sounds great, but is being constantly monitored worth the trade-off?
Shoppers scan the Amazon Go app on their mobile devices as the enter the store Monday in Seattle. Amazon opened the cashier-less store to the public after more than a year in beta.
Stephen Brashear/Getty Images