Are you planning to open your convenience store but don’t know where to start? Well, you’re in the right place. After serving thousands of convenience stores in the United States, Modisoft observes the trials and tribulations of the most successful store owners and we have found one thing in common. Most successful convenience store owners follow proven formulas and take inspiration from industry leaders to run a profitable business. But as a newcomer, you might get overwhelmed by the tons of content available on the internet. Don’t worry, Modisoft brings you a step-by-step guide that can help you achieve what other industry leaders have done. Why Invest in a Convenience Store In 2024? As an entrepreneur, you might be wondering if opening a convenience store is the right step for you. Investing a lot of money comes with fear and risks. But you may be happy to know that the convenience store industry is booming. In a report released by NACS Magazine, the number of C-stores has grown and reached over 150,000 in the U.S. As the US population stands, that means there is only one convenience store for every 2,225 people. This means that there is still a huge gap and potential for new players to enter the industry. According to Precision Reports Insights, the convenience store market is anticipated to rise at a considerable rate between 2024 to 2031. Thus, it’s the perfect time to step into this industry. But before you start, let’s have a look at what the future holds for convenience stores. The Future of C-Stores Convenience stores have been around for over 100 years and have weathered various market storms that other industries have struggled with.  A C-store in itself is a commodity, and that’s the biggest reason why it is still a profitable and popular business in the era of online retail culture. But there is no one-fit formula for all. Convenience stores, regardless of the location they choose, need to adopt modern technology and stay updated with the latest trends to cope with the market. Think of an old convenience store that refuses to upgrade and still contains the manual checkout process, poor lighting, and no option for curbside pickups. Do you think that store can sustain its presence? Never. Put yourself in the customer’s shoes. Would you consider a convenience store that has no convenience at all? Although the future holds a lot of potential for convenience stores to grow, you need to be quick in adapting to those changes to survive and thrive. How to Open a Convenience Store in 2024 Now that you are aware of the C-store and its future, it’s time to know how to enter the market. Just like any other business, convenience stores also need solid research, time, and money. There are crucial steps that you need to know before you start your convenience store in 2024.    To make the process easy for you, Modisoft shares all the steps that are necessary to know before starting a C-store in the United States. Step 1: Convert Your Idea into a Solid Business Plan Convert your idea into a business plan to ensure that you are on the right track. Many entrepreneurs often miss this crucial step that ultimately becomes one of the reasons why businesses fail. A business plan helps you clearly outline purpose, operations, strategy, and goals. Above all, it can be of great help when looking to obtain bank financing or securing a loan from other lenders. The key components of a solid business plan include Executive Summary Business Goals & Objectives Market Analysis Marketing Strategy Competitor Analysis SWOT Analysis USP – Unique Selling Proposition Financial Plan Overall Startup Cost Step 2: Pick Your Convenience Store Format You might be surprised to know that convenience stores come in all different shapes and sizes. Before you start your C-store, you need to plan out what segment your convenience store will fall into. These are just a few options that are available to you. Kiosk– If you are looking to go for a small startup, Kiosk is the perfect format. It generally occupies less than 800 square feet and sells items like tobacco, beverages, snacks, and candy. Mini Convenience Store- This store usually occupies 800 to 1,200 square feet and is a very popular model that runs alongside gas stations. It usually emphasizes gasoline sales, and most customers are people who refuel at gas stations. Limited Convenience Store- These types of stores are often affiliated with an oil company. Extended hours and striped parking are common in these types of C-stores. They have a broader product mix along with limited groceries. Traditional C-Store- This C-store category is very popular in the United States. The stores are about 2,500 sq feet and have product categories ranging from dairy, bakery, and snacks, to grocery, sweets, and much more. They are often open 24/7 and owned by oil companies. Expanded C- Store- These fall into the large stores category and have more shelving for additional grocery products. The expanded C-store occupies more than 3,000 square feet (about the area of a tennis court). They have proper seating, and parking facilities that attract families, women, and seniors. Hyper C-store- The hyper C-store covers up to 5,000 square feet and accommodates a variety of products and departments. They have a separate sit-down restaurant area, sometimes a pharmacy, and they often offer a bakery. Most customers are families, senior citizens, and traditional C-store customers. Step 3: Select Your Location Wisely Location plays a vital role in making or breaking a business. Selecting the wrong location can cost you thousands of dollars. If your location isn’t desirable, you won’t be able to attract enough customers, which results in lower sales and profits. Therefore, you need to take time to select your location. You need a spot that can be easily viewed, without an existing convenience store. Location selection depends on various sectors including but not limited to Research the audience demographics

Holiday sales are a fantastic opportunity for store owners to shine. Last year, holiday sales exceeded $211 billion in just two months (November-December), and they are expected to rise each year. This makes the holiday season a perfect time for retailers, restaurant owners, and service providers to maximize revenue.   While it’s no secret that most store owners experience their busiest season during the holidays, many entrepreneurs, startups, and mid-sized businesses lack the ability to generate maximum revenue. As inflation hit a new record in 2023, consumers have started to spend less. According to Finances Online, 41% of the consumers with income less than $50,000 have spent less in Q3. This means that businesses are likely to face more challenges during this holiday season. So how can you make the most out of this 2023 holiday season? Modisoft’s guide to maximizing holiday sales in 2023 is packed with tips on getting seasonal offerings just right, attracting customers, and leveraging the power of Modisoft POS to provide an unparalleled shopping experience. So, let’s dive in to see how you can stand out and maximize your holiday sales in 2023. 1. Utilize Social Media Platforms After Covid-19 many businesses are coming towards digital platforms to boost their sales. While it’s great to use social media platforms to speed up your business growth, without the right strategy you might fail to stand out from the competition. The following social media tips can help you in maximizing your holiday sales. Generate Awareness: Customers believe in what they see, therefore it’s vital for you to generate awareness for your holiday offerings. This can lead to a massive increase in your online sales. Host Holiday Giveaways: Who doesn’t want something free during the busiest time of the year? That’s where you get the chance to stand out and make your brand shine. Give a Holiday Makeover to Your Social Account: Refresh your social media profiles by getting in the holiday spirits. You can make a holiday version of your logo or replace your account/page profile pictures with holiday-themed ones. This small addition can make a huge difference and ensure that you grab your follower’s attention. 2. Keep Your Supply Chain Flexible Inventory management is notoriously difficult to handle, especially when the demand for your product starts to rise. During the holiday season, running out of inventory can put your business in a helpless position. 41% of the potential customers can get diverted to your competitor if they don’t find the product they are looking for.   Fortunately, these challenges can be avoided by simply keeping an eye on sales and adjusting stock levels right away. However, manual management can take time and is always vulnerable to human errors. Modisoft inventory management software can be of great use, simplifying your inventory management, so that you can focus on running your business. 3. Provide Omnichannel Shopping Experience In 2023, it’s more important than ever to consider your omnichannel retail strategy. Whether you are running a restaurant, smoke shop, café, bakery, or managing a convenience store, you need to adapt to the new retail landscape to maximize your holiday sales. The omnichannel approach is all about forging a seamless and consistent shopping journey that lets your customers move smoothly between online and offline channels. By creating a unified ecosystem, businesses can easily cater to the customer’s desires by letting them engage with the brand from anywhere they like. To make it happen, you need to switch to the online system ensuring that you provide a positive and consistent experience across all of your customer touchpoints. Modisoft products such as Cartzie, and Insights (back office), give you the peace of mind to create a seamless omnichannel shopping experience within minutes. This can help you streamline your operations, get real-time insights, track customer habits, stay updated on trendy products, and much more. 4. Start Loyalty Program Maximizing holiday sales in 2023 is all about offering better deals and discounts than your competitors. Most business owners often neglect the loyalty program, leaving additional revenue on the table. During the holiday season, customers always look for better deals than you typically offer throughout the year. Offering your customers a loyalty program is an effective way to entice them to shop at your store again in the future. You can create deals, start a reward point system, and let them redeem discounts. Encourage new holiday shoppers to become your loyal customers by offering bonus rewards when they sign up for the first time. You can use Modisoft Loyalty to set up an automated loyalty campaign without the need for any extra work. 5. Enable “Buy Now, Pay Later” Option Providing buy-now, pay-later options for your customers helps increase conversions and can allow for your product or service to be introduced to new customers.    Remember that the right payment solution can have a dramatic impact on your sales. Therefore, always provide convenience to your customers. This will also improve your brand value and give your customers the opportunity to purchase high-value products.   6. Provide Personalized Customer Experience Having a smooth buyer experience can make or break your business. Gone are the days of people just looking for a quick transaction. Now, around 87% of customers anticipate a personalized shopping experience from the merchants. Personalizing the customer’s journey not only builds a better and deeper relationship with your customer base but also allows you to understand their needs more effectively. Providing a better customer experience is all about offering convenience to your customers at every step. From offering a variety of payment options to custom discount coupons, you can cater to your customers’ needs perfectly. Since you’ll most likely be receiving more foot traffic during the holiday season, there’s no better time to make sure that your checkout process is smooth and convenient. Kiosks and all-purpose POS can help you increase customer satisfaction, loyalty, and improve sales. Don’t Miss Out on the Opportunity to Go Big The 2023 holiday season presents a significant