Beverage LTOs Plunge as C-Stores Up Sandwich Bets

Convenience stores are recalibrating their LTO strategies, pulling back on non-alcoholic beverages while doubling down on sandwiches as their primary play against restaurants, according to Datassential’s Convenience Store Review.

Non-alcoholic beverages fell from 128 introductions in 2024 to 81 in 2025 — a 37% drop and the steepest absolute decline of any item type. Still, the category remains the most prolific at c-stores by volume. 

Overall, c-store LTOs fell 21% annually, continuing a multi-year decline that suggests “it isn’t about a decrease in innovation, but rather a longer-term strategy,” the report notes. 

The findings follow a previous Datassential report that found most c-store beverage programs have solidified around established formats: 98% of operators currently offer hot brewed coffee and hot chocolate, while 85% offer fountain soft drinks, 75% slushies or frozen drinks, 73% fountain iced tea, and 68% iced coffee. Planned expansion is modest, with only 20% of operators planning to add hot espresso drinks and 18% planning smoothies. 

Major chains are consolidating their beverage strategies around established formats. Wawa, historically focused on sandwiches, has shifted its LTO priority to non-alcoholic beverages, while Sheetz, and 7-Eleven continue to list non-alcoholic beverages as their top focus item type, according to the C-Store Review report.

Sandwiches tell a different story. Introductions climbed year over year to 63 total in 2025, the only major category to post meaningful growth, continuing a rebound that began in 2024. QuickChek led the way with 33 sandwich introductions for the year, more than any other chain in any single category.

C-stores have captured the strongest gain in weekly sandwich consumption across retail channels, with one in five sandwich consumers buying from c-stores on a weekly basis, according to Datassential’s Sandwiches report.