The role of these groups is increasingly critical as the industry fragments:
Buying groups primarily bridge the gap between small, independent operators and large suppliers through three strategic pillars:
: "Community group buying"—where stores act as pick-up points for goods dispatched directly from origins—is emerging as a new marketing channel for modern c-stores. Key Resources for Further Reading
Unlike mega-retailers, management and product range decisions remain at the local owner's level.
High-performing independent retailers are those that combine their internal merchandising information with strong strategic integration with a buying group.
The decentralized structure allows for innovation and better understanding of local conditions compared to centralized chains.
: Approximately 60% of the 152,255 convenience stores in the U.S. are still single-store operators as of February 2025.