Letting Sales Walk Out The Door: How Automated Ice Production Drives C-Store Average Basket

Bagged Ice drives average basket sales for C-stores, growing incremental profit by spurring add-on purchases from customers already transacting. Ice seals the deal as an expected C-store staple, with patrons anticipating grabbing a bag during a snack stop or after a fuel fill. According to NACS, in 2022, a record 59% of customers getting gas also went into the C-store to purchase additional items. These customers are motivated buyers and the bread and butter for any C-Store.

But what happens when an empty ice merchandiser greets that motivated buyer? Ice stockouts carry steep consequences, with customers leaving empty-handed. No ice quickly translates into no snacks, soda, cigarettes, or sales.

Ice stockouts present significant profitability challenges. C-stores with empty ice merchandisers lose sales from abandoned customer visits. Missing out on the incremental ice purchase removes a key product add-on to a C-store’s transaction value. Maintaining continual ice inventory helps safeguard against lost sales, preserving essential opportunities for a C-store to build its overall average basket and a loyal customer base.