As we enter 2022, the National Association of Convenience Stores (NACS) has updated their common categories for c-stores to reflect changes in customer behaviors and habits since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. These new categories are important for benchmarking industry performance, providing clarification through common language and simplified terminology and capturing innovation and transitions in the industry.
For a full guide to the new category mapping put forth by NACS, see this PDF listing all subcategories and new changes. Highlights of the document include the following significant changes and additions, as stated by NACS (new subcategories underlined, deletions and name changes italicized):
Fuel
E15 and Renewable Diesel are new subcategories listed under Fuel Products
Beer/Wine/Liquor
Popular Beer will be dissolved as a subcategory, replaced with Alcoholic Cider. Items previously in Popular should be mapped to either Premium Plus/Super Premium or Budget/Value
Alcoholic Seltzer is a new subcategory in Beer
Cheladas is a new subcategory in Beer
Other Beer is a new subcategory in Beer
Ready-to-Drink Cocktails is a new subcategory in Liquor
Packaged Beverages
Ready-to-Drink Coffee is a new subcategory in Packaged Beverages
Candy
Candy Rolls/Mints/Drops will be renamed Breath Mints
Novelties/Seasonal Candy will be renamed Novelties
Change Makers/Penny Counter Goods will be renamed Changes Makers/Penny Counter Goods/Bulk Candy
Bulk Candy will be dissolved as a subcategory and replaced with Seasonal Candy. Items previously in Bulk Candy should be mapped to Change Makers/Penny Counter Goods/Bulk Candy
Other Candy is a new subcategory in Candy
Commissary
Bakery is a new subcategory in Commissary
Packaged Ice Cream
Premium Ice Cream will be renamed Bulk Ice Cream
Ice Cream will be renamed Single-Serve Ice Cream
Other Packaged Ice Cream is a new subcategory in Packaged Ice Cream
Packaged Sweet Snacks
Other Packaged Sweet Snacks is a new subcategory in Packaged Sweet Snacks
Health & Beauty Care
Feminine Hygiene will be renamed Personal Hygiene
General Merchandise
Trading Cards subcategory will be dissolved as a subcategory and replaced with Personal Protective Equipment. Items previously in Trading Cards should be mapped to Other General Merchandise. The Personal Protective Equipment subcategory will include gloves, masks and other wearable protective products (not hand sanitizer)
Each year, many organizations publish loss prevention statistics. We’ve highlighted data from the National Retail Federation (NRF) and the National Association of Convenience Stores (NACS).
NRF Shrink Statistics
Who is the NRF? The National Retail Federation (NRF) define themselves as the world’s largest retail trade association.
Total inventory shrink for the retail industry in 2020 was $70.4 billion in losses
The average shrink rate for the retail industry is 1.6% of inventory for 2020
53% of those surveyed said internal theft was a top priority
The average dollar loss per employee theft is $1,551.66 per case
The average dollar loss per shoplifting incident is $461.86 per case
The average dollar loss per robbery incident is $7,594.48 per case
For 2021, 50% of those surveyed said they would specifically invest in loss prevention (LP) equipment
NACS 2020 Shrink and Spoilage Statistics
Who is NACS? The National Association of Convenience Stores (NACS) is a leading global trade organization for convenience and fuel retailers.
If you are a convenience store operator, manager, or just curious, you can find both average shrink and spoilage rates by company size below.
Average merchandise shrink for 1-10 stores was $2,868 per store per year
Average merchandise shrink for 11-50 stores was $9,024 per store per year
Average merchandise shrink for 51-200 stores was $9,000 per store per year
Average merchandise shrink for 201-500 stores was $14,208 per store per year
Average merchandise shrink for 500+ was $19,704 per store per year
Average spoilage for 2020 for 1-10 stores was $10,188 per store per year
Average spoilage for 2020 for 11-50 stores was $8,604 per store per year
Average spoilage for 2020 for 51-200 stores was $13,908 per store per year
Average spoilage for 2020 for 201-500 stores was $33,708 per store per year
Average spoilage for 2020 for 500+ was $62,328 per store per year
